Kennedy Family Files Motion to Halt Trump’s Proposed Memorial Arch
Descendants of the Kennedy family have joined federal lawsuits to stop the construction of a 76-metre triumphal arch in Washington, DC, citing visual and structural concerns near Arlington National Cemetery.
By Larissa Bell ·
Members of the Kennedy family have filed a legal motion seeking to stop the construction of a proposed 76-metre triumphal arch in Washington, DC. The plaintiffs argue that the structure would negatively impact the area surrounding the graves of their famous ancestors at Arlington National Cemetery. The motion was submitted this week to join two existing federal lawsuits challenging the project.
The legal action involves nine plaintiffs who are children and grandchildren of former Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy. They filed a motion to intervene along with a complaint in the ongoing court cases. The proposed arch is located near the burial sites of the late senators, who are interred with their brother, former President John F. Kennedy. The site also features the Eternal Flame that commemorates the former president.
In their filing, the plaintiffs stated that the arch would fundamentally change the experience of visiting the gravesites. The cemetery is a popular destination that attracts millions of visitors annually. Lawyers for the family described the construction as a permanent denigration of the gravesites, noting that the relatives would no longer be able to appreciate the locations as they have in the past.
The intervention motion was prepared by veteran Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund, a centre-left legal advocacy group. They contend that the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior approved the granite and gold-ornamented structure without the necessary congressional approval. Critics have already dubbed the project the Arc de Trump.
The plaintiffs also raised concerns about the visual impact of the megastructure. They argue it would destroy the intentionally designed line of sight that has existed for a century between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House across the Memorial Bridge. This historic view is considered a significant feature of the national landscape.
This high-profile intervention adds to a growing list of plaintiffs challenging the polarising monument. Previous legal challenges have been launched by Vietnam War veterans, a historian, and the governments of the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Arlington County. Last week, District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a ruling prohibiting the Trump administration from breaking ground on the structure for another 14 days.
The arch project is part of a broader effort by the president to remodel various parts of Washington, DC. Other components of this overhaul include the renovation of a historic golf course and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center. With Democrats seizing control of Congress in last week's midterm elections, these major infrastructure changes may face increased scrutiny in the coming months.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Rory and Maxwell Kennedy, children of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, stated that the action is about protecting sacred spaces that belong to the American people. They noted that several members of their slain family 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. did not join the litigation. He is a Trump appointee who is currently estranged from much of his extended family, making his absence from the legal challenge a point of interest for observers.
