Kennedy family asks court to block Trump's 250-foot arch near Arlington

Nine Kennedy family members asked a federal court Tuesday to block President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot arch, saying it would cast shadows over relatives’ graves at Arlington National Cemetery.

The relatives argue in their filing that the arch would obstruct views from Arlington Memorial Bridge to the family’s gravesites, including the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame. They say it would block “a line of sight that was designed to represent the unification of the Nation following the Civil War and that has existed for nearly a century.”

When they visit, family members “pray and reflect upon the relationship between the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Gravesites, and the Eternal Flame, finding solace in seeing the legacy of the Kennedy family memorialized spatially,” according to the filing.

Speaking for the family, Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said “a towering arch casting shadows across the graves of our father, mother, and uncles” would “also cast a shadow over our democratic principles.”

White House spokesman Davis Ingle said 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.”

Commission vote and court order

The family’s motion follows a suit Washington, D.C., and Virginia brought against the National Park Service and Interior Department in late October. The jurisdictions called the arch flagrantly unlawful, saying Trump had not sought approval from Congress.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an October filing that the arch could serve as “a dual-purpose structure: a major national monument that also incorporates military utility to support Homeland defense.”

The National Capital Planning Commission approved the plans by an 8-4 vote following a nine-hour meeting that drew more than 100 public remarks, most opposing the arch.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan then barred construction-related activity on the arch in a 14-day temporary restraining order issued last week. In a statement last week, Ingle described the arch as “a tribute to 250 years of American greatness.”

In an emailed statement to The Hill, Ingle said “an activist district court has temporarily blocked the construction of the long-awaited Arch.”

The relatives filed Tuesday’s motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They want the court to prevent any approval, authorization or construction of the arch unless Congress authorizes it and designates a sponsor, and all statutory requirements are met.

Norman Eisen and Steve Jonas of Democracy Defenders Fund, the family’s lawyers, said “only Congress has the constitutional power to authorize an intrusion of this magnitude.”

Earlier Kennedy Center dispute

Joe Kennedy III wrote on X on Dec. 18, 2025, that the Kennedy Center “can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”

The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.

— Joe Kennedy III (@joekennedy) December 18, 2025

He and Kerry Kennedy opposed Trump’s attempts to put his name on the center, where it appeared on the facade before later being removed. Both joined Tuesday’s motion as part of the group of nine relatives.

The plaintiffs include children and grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, who were brothers of President John F. Kennedy. The three brothers are buried at Arlington.

The administration says the arch would mark 250 years of American independence, and it would stand on a traffic circle across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial. Trump has previously said he intends to complete it before leaving office in two years.

An administration review released by the National Park Service in August acknowledged that the arch would adversely affect as many as 42 historic sites. The government has argued in court that the project is lawful and that the plaintiffs lack standing to sue.

Opponents say the structure would interrupt views of the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House and disturb the solemnity of funerals at Arlington, CNN reported. The outlet said the legal challenges have complicated Trump’s goal of finishing the arch before he leaves office.

University of Connecticut history professor Micki McElya discussed the arch’s potential negative effects on Arlington National Cemetery on a Bloomberg Law podcast. “The judiciary should not be abused to politicize a structure designed to unite our nation,” Ingle said. “We will continue making the case for this beautiful and fitting monument and are confident we will be fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds.”

The plaintiffs have requested a longer-term injunction. Chutkan’s 14-day order expires unless extended.