Trump brands federal judge who slowed his golf project a ‘crazed lunatic’
Donald Trump has attacked US district judge Ana Reyes over her interventions to slow his plan to ‘restore’ the East Potomac golf course in Washington DC.
Citing environmental and historic preservation concerns, Reyes had ruled earlier this year that the federal government must give notice before any substantive construction work on the East Potomac golf course could proceed, and last week issued an order halting the removal of trees at the site, which she called “inexcusable”.
The renovation is among a number of projects Trump was pursuing to reshape the White House and other Washington landmarks. Many of his projects, including plans for a huge ballroom at the White House, the installation of his own name on the Kennedy Center and construction of a massive arch, have been challenged in courts.
In a post on Truth Social, the US president said:
“The United States Department of Interior wants to take a terrible and very unsafe golf course, and make it into a great, safe, and prestigious golf course. They have an absolute right to do so. It’s as simple as that! The judge on the case is a crazed lunatic whose courthouse tapes will reveal, may be insane? The tapes have been blocked from usage by the judge.
“The random golfer bringing the ridiculous lawsuit has ZERO STANDING! The experts at “Interior” are allowed to do this First Class renovation “as of right.” They do not need an approval. Work is scheduled to begin IMMEDIATELY! The finished product will be World Class, and bring income and great prestige back to D.C. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.”
The renovation is among a number of projects Trump was pursuing to reshape the White House and other Washington landmarks. Many of his projects, including plans for a huge ballroom at the White House, the installation of his own name on the Kennedy Center and construction of a massive arch, have been challenged in courts.
Key events
Rubio denies US paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state denied on Monday that the United States had paused some intelligence sharing with Ukraine, contradicting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Rubio, speaking to reporters during a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday morning, said intelligence was in fact never interrupted in the first place.
“I don’t know where he’s getting these things or why he’s saying these things to the press. You should go back and ask him. There’s been no pause.
“What he should be focused on, and what we want to be focused on, is bringing an end to this war. That’s what he should be focused on.”
Zelenskyy thanked Trump administration for resuming intelligence sharing, but maintained US sabotaged Starlink internet access
Volodymyr Zelenskyy had thanked the Trump administration on Sunday for resuming intelligence sharing between the two countries, but maintained the US had intentionally throttled its Starlink satellite internet access so that Donald Trump could send a “message” in his ongoing feud with the Ukrainian president.
In an interview on NBC, Zelenskyy said the US had “unblocked” intelligence on impending Russian ballistic missile strikes, which have pounded the country’s energy infrastructure as winter draws in.
“It was blocked for some period of time. And then it was deblocked by the American side. We are very thankful for this. Now it works,” Zelenskyy told NBC’s Meet the Press. “Only [the] United States has this unique intelligence to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missiles. And we didn’t get it during ballistic attacks during three days.”
Zelenskyy also said that Elon Musk’s SpaceX was responsible for suddenly limiting the speed at which Starlink terminals worked in Ukraine, hampering drone operations on the frontlines as well as some air defence missions.
“It was a message from [the] American government to limit the speed,” he said. “And technically, SpaceX did it.”
Vice-president JD Vance expected to hold rally in North Carolina
The US vice-president JD Vance is expected to hold rally in North Carolina on Monday as the Trump administration continues ramping up rallies to support candidates in the 2026 midterm elections.
Vance’s visit comes as Republicans look to gain ground in North Carolina’s Senate race, as well as in two key US House races. Republican Michael Whatley, whom Trump endorsed, is running against former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper for the seat vacated by Republican US Senator Thom Tillis, who is not seeking reelection.
Henderson, in the heart of the state’s 11th congressional district, and Greenville, just outside the 1st congressional district are where voters strongly supported Trump in 2024 but now, as voters face rising gas and grocery prices, are in play. Democratic victories there could help them flip control of Congress.
US gave us no warning of Russian strikes on Kyiv power plants, Zelenskyy says
Andrew Roth
Ukraine did not receive a warning from the US about an impending Russian missile attack on Sunday evening, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, reviving concerns that Washington is withholding intelligence in order to bully Kyiv into capitulating to Moscow.
Yuri Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, said on television on Monday morning that Ukraine had not received a warning before a Russian missile barrage hit power plants in Kyiv at around 11pm. Earlier, a Ukrainian government official had told the Guardian the US had not warned the capital about the impending missile strike.
Ukraine did receive a warning before a successive strike, at 3am, Ihnat added.
“Once again, Russia launched a ballistic missile attack in multiple waves throughout the night, and once again, there was no warning from our partners,” Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post on Monday morning.
“When the supply of missiles for Ukrainian air defence is blocked, and Russia receives sanctions relief or delays, it is, unfortunately, a denial of reality on the part of our partners,” the president added.
Trump heads to Kansas to show support for embattled Marshall
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.
Donald Trump will attend a campaign rally in Kansas later today, where incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall is in an unexpectedly close race with Democrat Adam Hamilton.
Marshall’s medical billing scandal is threatening to erode his support, though he is still favored to win.
Hamilton, the founder of the largest Methodist congregation in the US, won in a crowded Democratic primary earlier this year.
Hamilton won 35% of the vote in the 11-candidate Democratic primary. His campaign announced he had broken a quarterly fundraising record in the state, and two major election forecasters say the Senate race has grown more competitive since Hamilton won his party’s primary.
Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, and more than half a century has passed since one of their nominees even came close.
In other developments:
-
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday that “restoration work will begin” next month to a historic public golf course in Washington DC despite a federal judge’s court order to pause his plans over environmental and historic preservation concerns. He wrote that the facility would be transformed into “one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World”.
-
Ilhan Omar’s attorneys have asked the US Department of Justice to return property that federal agents removed days earlier from her home during a search. The lawyers for the Minnesota Democrat contended that the seizure as “neither justified nor lawful”, according to a letter published on Friday. The federal investigation into Omar was launched just weeks ahead of the 3 November midterms, in which Omar is on the ballot.
-
Former US president Barack Obama condemned comments by Trump’s “border czar” that the Republican presidential administration could “of course” strip Omar of her citizenship and deport her. Obama wrote Sunday morning, on X, that “the full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president.
