Kennedy Family Files Motion to Halt Trump’s Proposed Arlington Arch

Nine members of the Kennedy family filed a federal motion on Tuesday to halt President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

Filing the motion

The plaintiffs include children and grandchildren of former Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, aljazeera.com reported. They filed a motion to intervene and an accompanying complaint in two existing federal lawsuits. Veteran Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund filed the intervention motion on behalf of the family.

The proposed granite and gold-ornamented structure sits in a traffic circle across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. Critics have dubbed the project the “Arc de Trump.”

Obstructing historic views

The family argued that the megastructure would fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites of former President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy. The site draws millions of visitors each year, including the Eternal Flame commemorating the slain president.

Building the arch would permanently denigrate the gravesites, according to court filings. The lawyers wrote that the relatives would never again be able to appreciate both sites as they always have before.

The structure would also destroy the intentionally designed century-old line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House across the Memorial Bridge. ctvnews.ca reported that the family called the arch an illegal interference with Arlington National Cemetery and the heroes remembered there.

Legal challenges

The high-profile intervention adds to a sprawling roster of plaintiffs challenging the polarising monument. Other plaintiffs include Vietnam War veterans, a historian, and the governments of the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Arlington County.

District Judge Tanya Chutkan prohibited the Trump administration from breaking ground on the structure for 14 days following the string of lawsuits. The National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve plans for the arch last week.

The National Park Service and the Department of the Interior authorised the granite structure without required congressional approval, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs argue only Congress has the constitutional power to authorize an intrusion of this magnitude.

Broader architectural overhauls

The project is part of a broader effort by the president to remodel Washington, D.C. Other initiatives include a historic golf course renovation and threats to demolish the Kennedy Center.

Several family members have also spoken out against attempts to add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Kerry Kennedy and Joe Kennedy III sought to join the triumphal arch lawsuit as plaintiffs.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Trump appointee who is estranged from much of his family, did not join the litigation. He told cbsnews.com earlier this year that he had bigger fish to fry regarding the performing arts center.

Defending sacred spaces

Speaking on behalf of the family, Rory and Maxwell Kennedy said the action is about protecting sacred spaces that belong to the American people. They noted that several family members are among the more than 400,000 veterans and family members buried on the grounds.

Americans from every corner of the country visit Arlington to honor those who served and sacrificed for our nation, Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said in a statement.

The Justice Department had no comment on the filing when reached by cbsnews.com. White House spokesman Davis Ingle stated last week that the administration is confident it will be fully vindicated as the litigation proceeds.