Kennedy Family Moves to Block Trump’s 250-Foot Arch Near Arlington Cemetery

Nine members of the Kennedy family have joined legal efforts to stop US President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch, arguing that the monument would obstruct views of their relatives’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery and cast shadows over the historic memorial site.

The family members filed a motion on Tuesday seeking to join existing lawsuits challenging the project. They contend that the proposed structure, planned for Memorial Circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC, would permanently alter the surroundings of the Kennedy family gravesites and the Eternal Flame marking the resting place of former President John F. Kennedy.

The plaintiffs include children and grandchildren of former US senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, brothers of the assassinated president. Robert and Ethel Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Edward Kennedy and other members of the family are buried or commemorated at Arlington.

In their court filing, the relatives argued that the arch would obstruct the carefully preserved view of the Kennedy gravesites from Arlington Memorial Bridge. They also said its position would interfere with the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, a layout intended to symbolise national reunification following the American Civil War.

Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy, speaking on behalf of the family, said the legal action was aimed at protecting places of national significance and preserving the dignity of those buried at the cemetery.

They argued that the proposed structure could cast shadows over the graves of their parents and uncles, as well as the resting places of other Americans who died in service to the country.

The family is also challenging the legal authority behind the project, arguing that the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior approved the development without the congressional authorisation they believe is required.

The proposed arch, which is expected to feature gold ornamentation and a large winged figure at its top, is modelled on Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. At about 250 feet (76 metres), it would be more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial.

The project has faced opposition from several groups, including Vietnam War veterans, preservationists and government authorities in Washington, DC, and Virginia, who have also raised concerns about its impact on the historic landscape and the legality of the approval process.

A federal judge, Tanya Chutkan, last week temporarily barred the Trump administration from beginning construction for 14 days while legal challenges are considered. Work on the arch has not yet started.

The White House has defended the project, presenting it as a monument intended to honour American military service and sacrifice. The administration has also argued that the structure’s impact on the surrounding cemetery would be limited.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, was not among the relatives who filed the latest court motion.

The legal challenge adds to growing scrutiny of Trump’s plans to reshape parts of the US capital, with opponents arguing that projects involving nationally significant sites should be subject to the required legal and congressional safeguards.