Washington golf course fight: a judge presses Trump officials over the tree cutting

Interior Department chief of staff Greg Wischer testified Monday before Judge Ana Reyes, while Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward invoked attorney-client privilege to block several questions about the tree plan.

“No, both can't be true. We're not dealing with quantum physics here.”

— Judge Ana Reyes, on the timing of the tree plan

Since the closure plan

1. Last week

   The judge said her orders were being ignored and called park and Interior staff to testify

2. The weekend

   The administration asked her to recuse herself; she refused

3. Monday

   Interior's chief of staff testified as the Justice Department asserted privilege

The administration asked Judge Reyes to step aside over the weekend, saying she was too emotional, and she rejected the request point by point.

Asked whether the Justice Department or the Interior Department chose when to tell the court about the tree plan, Woodward said he did not know and would find out.