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The opposition to President Trump’s 250-foot triumphal arch has gained a formidable ally: the Kennedy family.
Nine members of the Kennedy family moved on Tuesday to join ongoing litigation in Washington, D.C., seeking to halt the project before construction begins. Echoing a central criticism of the project, the Kennedys argue that the arch would cast a shadow over the graves of their relatives buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The filing adds that the structure would obstruct the solemn sightline from the eternal flame at President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite, across Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, “destroying an essential element of the gravesite’s design.”
Two of the plaintiffs, Rory and Maxwell Kennedy, children of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy, said in a statement to the New York Times: “A towering arch casting shadows across the graves of our father, mother, and uncles, as well as the graves of so many who have served our country, would also cast a shadow over our democratic principles, undermining the safeguards established by our elected representatives to protect this hallowed ground for generations to come.”
Since its unveiling last year, the president’s pet project has advanced in fits and starts. The Trump administration has pushed it past major hurdles, only to see federal courts repeatedly impose temporary blocks. The arch, whose various proposed designs have featured a flame, gilded angels, and a sniper’s nest, received final approval last Thursday from a commission allied with Trump. Only hours later, however, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day restraining order, accompanied by a 33-page opinion that that revisited several of the project’s chief legal and practical challenges: whether it required congressional approval, the costs it would impose on Virginia and the District of Columbia, and the potential disruption to traffic around the heavily traveled Memorial Circle.
The Kennedys, in their suit, reiterated the point: “Only Congress has the constitutional power to authorize an intrusion of this magnitude. Today, members of the Kennedy family are joining with the other litigants in this case to protect this historic site — and to defend the rule of law and separation of powers.”
Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, told the Times that it was “unfortunate to see that some members of the Kennedy family have joined the litigation against the arch, as the project is intended to honor our heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery.”
He continued: “The judiciary should not be abused to politicize a structure designed to unite our nation. We will continue making the case for this beautiful and fitting monument and are confident we will be fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds.”