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Region — Government & Politics

Judges bristle as they are forced to decide the details of Trump's Washington makeover

Judges accustomed to parsing the Constitution are now being forced to decide how many trees may be cut down or whether paint tests can proceed.

,   and  The Associated Press
6 min read
A golfer walks past the stump of a large tree at the East Potomac Golf Links, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

By GARY FIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — District and federal court judges in Washington are used to handling some of the nation's thorniest issues, from complex deportation cases to the fates of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants and more.

But in the nearly two years since President Donald Trump returned to office, they have been adjudicating a litany of cases challenging construction projects he initiated to remake the nation's capital at a breakneck speed. Judges accustomed to parsing the Constitution are now being forced to decide how many trees may be cut down or whether paint tests can proceed.

Their decisions ultimately could determine how Washington is reshaped and could have a significant say on the limits of presidential power. But in reaching those conclusions, the judges appear to be growing increasingly frustrated with being thrust into what otherwise might be the purview of project managers, zoning officials or board legal counsel.

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