Nine members of the Kennedy family asked a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday to join lawsuits against Trump’s planned arch, arguing the structure would cast shadows over relatives’ graves at Arlington, according to NBC News.
The family argues the arch would obstruct the sight line from the JFK Eternal Flame across Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, which they call an essential element of the design, NBC News reported. A Kennedy filing says the arch would permanently cast shadows over and damage historically significant sightlines to the Kennedy gravesites, according to the complaint, BBC World reported.
The planned arch is 250 feet tall and is slated for Memorial Circle between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, according to NBC News. The administration says the arch is part of Trump’s efforts to remake the capital and is meant to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, according to CBS News.
The complaint says the National Park Service and Interior Department authorized construction on 5 November 2026 without the necessary congressional approval, according to BBC World. That date comes only from BBC World, and no other source confirms it.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked construction-related activity for 14 days, finding the plan is likely illegal, according to CBS News. The plaintiffs have asked for a longer-term injunction. The District of Columbia, Virginia and Vietnam War veteran Michael Lemmon have already sued over the project, NBC News reported.
The government argues the arch is lawful and that the plaintiffs lack standing, according to CBS News, but its full filing was not available. The Justice Department had no comment on the Kennedy filing, CBS News reported.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not a plaintiff. His only response in the sources is an earlier CBS News comment that he has "bigger fish to fry."
The judge must first decide whether the Kennedy family can join the case, and no date for that ruling has been given. The court will also consider the request for a longer-term injunction after the 14-day pause.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.