Kennedy family joins US lawsuits to block Trump’s ‘unlawful’ arch plan
Members of the Kennedy family have filed a legal motion to halt construction of President Trump's 76-metre 'triumphal arch' near Arlington Cemetery gravesites.
On Tuesday, nine plaintiffs—children and grandchildren of former Senators Robert F Kennedy and Edward M Kennedy—filed a motion to intervene in two existing federal lawsuits aimed at blocking the arch's construction. The project would sit near the graves of the Kennedy family at Arlington National Cemetery, including the Eternal Flame commemorating former President John F Kennedy.
The intervention was filed by veteran Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and Democracy Defenders Fund, a center-left legal advocacy group. They argue the National Park Service and Department of the Interior approved the granite, gold-ornamented structure without required congressional approval.
Sacred Sites
Plaintiffs contend the proposed arch would 'fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites,' a site that draws millions of visitors annually. They also argue it would destroy the century-old line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House across the Memorial Bridge.
Building the arch would be a 'permanent denigration' of the gravesites, and the Kennedy offspring 'would never again be able to appreciate both sites as they always have before, and as the Kennedy family always intended'
Broader Opposition
The high-profile intervention adds to an already sprawling roster of plaintiffs challenging the monument, including Vietnam War veterans, a historian, and the governments of the District of Columbia, Virginia and Arlington County. Last week, District Judge Tanya Chutkan prohibited the Trump administration from breaking ground for another 14 days.
Rory and Maxwell Kennedy, children of the late senator Robert F Kennedy, stated the action is about 'protecting sacred spaces that belong to the American people.' They noted several family members are 'among the more than 400,000 veterans and family members buried or honored on this hallowed ground.' Notably, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a Trump appointee estranged from much of his family, did not join the litigation.
The arch project is part of Trump's broader effort to remodel Washington, DC, alongside a historic golf course renovation and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center. With Democrats seizing control of Congress in last week's midterm elections, these overhauls may face heightened scrutiny.
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