Kennedy family moves to block Trump's 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery
Nine members of the Kennedy family have moved to block US President Donald Trump's plan to build a 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, arguing that the monument would obstruct historic views of their relatives' graves and memorials honoring fallen American service members.
The family filed a motion in federal court in Washington, DC, on November 10, joining an existing legal challenge to the project, CNN reported.
"President Donald J. Trump is attempting to unlawfully erect a massive arch that will permanently cast shadows over and damage historically significant sightlines to the existing gravesites and memorials established in the Kennedy family's honor at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as to the memorials of hundreds of thousands of fallen American heroes," the filing states.
The proposed monument would stand at Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River in Virginia.
The Kennedys argue that its location would obstruct views of the family gravesites, including the Eternal Flame at President John F. Kennedy's grave, from Arlington Memorial Bridge.
They say the arch would disrupt a historic visual axis intended to symbolize national reunification after the American Civil War.
The proposed structure would be more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial and roughly equivalent to a 25-story office building, according to the filing.
A growing legal battle
The nine plaintiffs include children and grandchildren of former US senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, brothers of President John F. Kennedy.
Six members of the Kennedy family are buried at Arlington, including the former president, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Robert and Edward Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy and Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
The family argues that it has a particular legal interest in protecting the gravesites of its relatives.
"Only Congress has the constitutional power to authorize an intrusion of this magnitude," attorneys Norman Eisen and Steve Jonas, who represent the family members, said in a statement.
Washington, DC, Virginia, Arlington County, veterans and historic preservation advocates have also challenged the project in court.
On November 5, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan temporarily prohibited the Trump administration from beginning construction-related activity near the proposed site for 14 days.
The order came shortly after the National Capital Planning Commission approved the arch despite public opposition.
An August review by the National Park Service acknowledged that the proposed monument could adversely affect as many as 42 historic sites.
Trump has said he wants the arch completed before he leaves office in January 2029, but the project faces continuing legal challenges.
The proposed arch is part of a broader effort by Trump to reshape prominent public spaces and landmarks in Washington, DC, including projects involving the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Memorial area.
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