Kennedy Family Sues to Block Trump's Planned Arch in Washington
Nine members of the Kennedy family have sued to block construction of a planned triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., a monumental gateway proposed by President Donald Trump, according to BBC News. The arch would stand 250 feet (76 meters) tall.
The plaintiffs include seven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, former Democratic congressman Joe Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy Jr., the son of Ted Kennedy. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not among the family members challenging the project.
The family filed its complaint as a motion to intervene, a request to join an existing case as a party. That case is a joint lawsuit brought by Virginia and Washington, D.C., which seeks to stop the arch from being built.
The Kennedy plaintiffs argue that the arch would block the view of John F. Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery. They also allege that it would permanently cast shadows over gravesites and memorials established in the family's honor there, and that it would damage historically significant sightlines if erected at the cemetery's gateway.
The complaint further alleges that the National Park Service and the Interior Department authorized construction on 5 November 2026 without the congressional approval it says is necessary. The Park Service is the federal agency that manages national parks and monuments, and the Interior Department oversees it.
The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal planning body, had approved the arch project before the court intervened. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has ordered a 14-day pause before any work can begin on the arch while the litigation proceeds.
