On Tuesday, nine Kennedy family members petitioned a judge to halt President Donald Trump’s massive memorial arch plan. This 250-foot structure would cast a shadow directly over the gravesites of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy. The relatives argue the shadow would “fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites,” according to ABC News. A motion to intervene was filed by them in two pre-existing lawsuits challenging the construction project. The group includes children and grandchildren of the two brothers of the slain president.
The family says the arch would be a “permanent denigration” of the sacred ground. Their lawyers wrote that the offspring “would never again be able to appreciate both sites as they always have before, and as the Kennedy family always intended,”. This legal push comes after a federal judge last week ordered a 14-day halt on all construction work. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued that stop order to allow time for the ongoing legal battles to proceed.
According to the lawsuit, the Trump administration has “violated the laws and procedures established by Congress to protect this most sacred national memorial.” Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy made this statement in a release shared by NBC News. They are joined by seven of Robert F. Kennedy’s living children, excluding the president’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The complaint seeks to stop the government from approving or building the arch without specific congressional authorization, the Washington Examiner reported. This marks the fourth legal challenge brought against the president’s controversial monument project.
Memorial Circle, located between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, is where the planned arch sits. The family argues it blocks the clear sight line from the Eternal Flame to the Lincoln Memorial. They call this view an “essential element” of the design, according to NBC News. The project was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in an 8-4 vote just last Thursday. The Washington Examiner noted this vote was quickly followed by the judge’s ruling that paused construction plans for two weeks.
The 27-page complaint asserts that the arch would “significantly damage the memorial to the Kennedys, as well as the heroes who eternally rest at Arlington National Cemetery.” This quote comes directly from the legal filing cited by the Washington Examiner. The family’s legal team is led by veteran Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund. They argue the plaintiffs have a “direct, immediate stake in this matter and claims that share common questions of law,” per NBC News. The District of Columbia, Virginia, and a former U.S. ambassador had already sued over the project before the Kennedys joined in.
President Trump has undertaken several projects to alter the capital to his tastes, from golf courses to the Kennedy Center. This arch is one of those changes. The family insists the gravesites should remain unimpeded as a solemn memorial to their legacy. They believe the arch casts a shadow over democratic principles by undermining safeguards established by elected representatives. The court will now decide if the family can block the construction of the 250-foot tower.
