Kennedy Family Mounts Legal Challenge Against Trump's Proposed 'Arc de Triomphe' Near Arlington Cemetery

Members of the prominent Kennedy family have initiated legal action to halt the construction of President Donald Trump’s 76-meter (250ft) “triumphal arch” in Washington, DC. They argue that the proposed structure would detract from the area adjacent to the graves of notable family members.

On Tuesday, nine plaintiffs, comprising children and grandchildren of former Senators Robert F Kennedy and Edward M Kennedy, submitted a motion to intervene and a complaint within two existing federal lawsuits aimed at blocking the arch’s construction. The project is slated to be situated near the final resting places of the late senators, who are interred alongside their brother, former President John F Kennedy, and the Eternal Flame commemorating him at Arlington National Cemetery.

The plaintiffs contend that the planned arch would “fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites,” a location that attracts millions of visitors annually. The intervention motion was put forth by veteran Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund, a center-left legal advocacy organization. It asserts that the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior authorized the granite, gold-ornamented structure, which critics have dubbed the “Arc de Trump,” without the requisite congressional approval.

Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that the megastructure would disrupt the intentionally designed, century-old line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House across the Memorial Bridge. This high-profile intervention adds to an existing array of plaintiffs who have lodged legal challenges against the controversial 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 issued a 14-day prohibition on the Trump administration breaking ground for the structure, following the series of lawsuits. Lawyers for the Kennedy relatives stated on Tuesday that building the arch would constitute 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.”

The arch project is part of President Trump’s broader initiative to remodel significant portions of Washington, DC, which also includes a historic golf course renovation and proposed demolition of the Kennedy Center. However, with Democrats having gained control of Congress in the recent midterm elections, these overhauls may face increased scrutiny.

Rory and Maxwell Kennedy, children of the late Senator Robert F Kennedy, speaking on behalf of the family, emphasized that the action is about “protecting sacred spaces that belong to the American people.” They noted that several members of their family are “among the more than 400,000 veterans and family members buried or honored on this hallowed ground.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Trump appointee who is reportedly estranged from much of his family, did not participate in the litigation.