Nine members of the Kennedy family walked into federal court on Tuesday with a simple request. They want a judge to stop President Trump from building a 250-foot memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery. The structure would sit right between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. This move could block the project before any concrete is poured.
The relatives argue the massive tower will cast long shadows over the graves of their loved ones. These include former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Their family members rest near the eternal flame that marks JFK’s final spot. The family says the shadow would “fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites,” according to the New York Post. They believe the arch would be a “permanent denigration” of the sacred ground.
The family members are children and grandchildren of RFK and Ted Kennedy. They filed a motion to join two other lawsuits already seeking to halt construction. Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy issued a statement about the effort. They said the request was about “protecting sacred spaces,” per NBC News. The pair added that they believe Trump has “violated the laws and procedures established by Congress to protect this most sacred national memorial.”
Lawyers for the relatives wrote that the Kennedy offspring “would never again be able to appreciate both sites as they always have before, and as the Kennedy family always intended,” the New York Post reported. The complaint states the arch would damage the memorial to the Kennedys and the heroes who rest there. The suit asks the court to stop the administration from approving or building the structure without Congress saying yes first.
The White House pushed back against the legal challenge on Tuesday. Spokesperson Davis Ingle said, “It is unfortunate to see that some members of the Kennedy family have joined the litigation against the Arch as the project is intended to honor our heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery,” per the New York Post. Ingle added that “The judiciary should not be abused to politicize a structure designed to unite our nation.”
Not every Kennedy is part of this fight. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as the health and human services secretary, did not join the lawsuit. The Washington Examiner noted that Tuesday’s filing is the fourth legal challenge against the monument. Three other groups, including the District of Columbia and Virginia, sued late last month.
The legal battle moves fast. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan already stopped the Trump administration from breaking ground for 14 days last week. The plaintiffs filed the new paperwork in D.C. federal court on Tuesday. The arch was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in an 8-4 vote just last Thursday, the Washington Examiner reported.
The family argues the site will ruin the clear view from JFK’s grave across the bridge to the Lincoln Memorial. They claim the arch would cast a shadow over democratic principles by ignoring safeguards set by elected representatives. The court must now decide if the family has a direct stake in the matter. The lawsuit states the gravesites should remain “unimpeded and unhampered” as a solemn memorial to the family legacy.
Trump’s plan aims to build a “triumphal arch” to honor heroes, but the family sees a different outcome. They say the structure would overshadow the graves of their father, mother, and uncles. The final decision rests with the judge who will review the 27-page complaint. The answer to whether the arch rises or falls depends on this next ruling.
