Federal Judge Asks Trump DOJ: ‘Are You Kidding Me Right Now?’

Federal judges traditionally don’t have to ask the DOJ’s number 3 if they’re kidding. But Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward is nothing if not a trailblazer. And the trail he’s blazing involves clear cutting a whole forest of ethical norms and presumptions of DOJ integrity. Last Friday, in the ongoing court battle over the administration’s capricious destruction of the East Potomac Golf Course , Woodward told Judge Ana Reyes that he didn’t “recall the court asking a question as to whether we were wanting to come up with a plan,” per the Independent . Given that the only reason Judge Reyes called Woodward to court in the first place was to get to the bottom of the administration’s plan — and why it seems to be at odds with what government lawyers told the court — the judge asked whether he was kidding. As Bloomberg Law News reported, the judge added: “Seriously, Mr. Woodward, come on.” During Pro Bono Week 2026, PLI is offering complimentary access to these One-Hour Briefings.

Source: Original reporting via Above the Law