Kennedy Relatives Join Court Fight Over Trump's 250-Foot Arlington Arch
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Nine members of the Kennedy family asked a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday to let them join the legal fight against President Donald Trump's planned triumphal arch, arguing the 250-foot structure would cast a shadow over family graves at Arlington National Cemetery. ABC News and NBC News reported the filing.
The request adds a high-profile name to a case that has already slowed the project. A judge barred the administration from breaking ground for 14 days, and the plaintiffs have asked for a longer-term injunction, CBS News reported.
Who is asking to join and why
The nine are children and grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, brothers of President John F. Kennedy, according to ABC News. NBC News reported that they include seven of Robert F. Kennedy's living children, all except Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ABC News described his relationship with many of his relatives as fractured.
They filed a motion to intervene in two existing lawsuits. NBC News said one was brought by the District of Columbia and Virginia, the other by Vietnam War veteran and former U.S. ambassador Michael Lemmon. CBS News reported that Kerry Kennedy and Joe Kennedy III are also seeking to join as plaintiffs.
ABC News reported that the relatives are represented by Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and Democracy Defenders Fund.
What they say the arch would do
The family argues the arch, planned for Memorial Circle between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, would alter the experience of visiting the gravesites. NBC News reported that the Kennedys also say it would block the sight line from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame memorial across Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, which they call an essential element of the design.
The arch is designed to stand 250 feet tall, more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial, NBC News reported. Their lawyers wrote that the arch would be a “permanent denigration” of the gravesites, according to ABC News.
Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said in a statement that the request is about protecting sacred spaces and that they believe Trump violated the laws and procedures Congress set up to protect the cemetery, NBC News reported.
How the administration responded
The White House said last week it is confident it will be fully vindicated as the litigation proceeds, according to CBS News and NBC News. NBC News reported that spokesperson Davis Ingle called it unfortunate that some Kennedy relatives joined a case against a project meant to honor those buried at Arlington.
CBS News reported that the government argues the arch does not violate the law and that the plaintiffs lack standing to sue. The Justice Department had no comment on the new filing when CBS News asked.
How the project got here
The National Capital Planning Commission, which CBS News described as stacked with Trump allies, voted last week to approve the plans. A federal judge, Tanya Chutkan, then blocked construction-related activity for 14 days. CBS News reported that the administration had sought to break ground as early as this month and says the arch would commemorate 250 years of American independence. Opponents, including local officials, congressional Democrats and some veterans, argue the proper legal processes were not followed, CBS News said.
ABC News reported that the White House unveiled a new website to showcase the arch last week, which is slated to be built with gold ornamentation and gray granite.
Why it matters
Arlington draws millions of visitors each year, according to ABC News, and the Kennedy gravesites are a major attraction. The outcome could determine what visitors see when they look from the memorials toward the Lincoln Memorial.
The case also tests whether the administration followed the required legal steps. ABC News noted that the arch is one of several Washington projects Trump has pursued, which could face intense scrutiny after Democrats gained control of Congress in this week's midterm elections.
What happens next
The 14-day pause on construction is in effect while the court considers the case. The plaintiffs have asked for a longer-term injunction, and the judge has not yet ruled on whether the Kennedys may intervene.
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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, The Guardian, CBS News
Cover photo: G. Edward Johnson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, cropped
