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Kennedy Family Sues to Block Trump's Arch
Confirmed
In Short: Nine Kennedy family members asked a judge to block President Trump's plan to build a 250-foot memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
Kennedy family moves to block Trump's 'triumphal' arch. NBC News
Nine family members of the Kennedy political dynasty filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block President Donald Trump's plan to build a towering memorial arch near Arlington National Cemetery, arguing it would cast a shadow over their relatives' gravesites.
The arch, known as the Independence Arch, is slated to rise between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, according to the White House's new website showcasing the project.
Lawyers for the Kennedy family argued that the arch would be a 'permanent denigration' of the gravesites and 'fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites.'
The Kennedy family members who filed the lawsuit are children and grandchildren of Robert F. Kennedy and other prominent family members.
The lawsuit was filed as part of two existing lawsuits seeking to block construction of the arch, and a US judge has already issued a temporary order blocking construction until November 19.
The Kennedy family's motion alleges that the National Park Service and Department of the Interior took 'unlawful steps' to begin erecting the arch by granting final authorization on November 5.
The Kennedy family's legal action is part of a broader effort to halt the construction of the arch, which they argue would obstruct clear sight lines from the John F. Kennedy gravesite and damage historically significant sightlines.
The White House responded that it was 'unfortunate' to see that some members of the Kennedy family had joined litigation against the arch, which is intended to honor heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery.
The Kennedy family's lawsuit is one of several legal challenges to Trump's plans to alter Washington, D.C., including his efforts to renovate a public golf course and threaten to demolish the John F. Kennedy Memorial.
The Kennedy family's legal action underscores the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the Kennedy family over the president's plans for the nation's capital.
What this adds
The lawsuit includes a request for an 14-day pause before any work can start on the arch as litigation plays out.
The Kennedy Center, named after the assassinated president, has also faced changes under Trump, including a name change and plans for renovation.
What's confirmed
- Nine family members of the Kennedy political dynasty asked a judge Tuesday to block President Donald Trump's plan to build a towering memorial arch, saying the 250-foot (76-meter) structure would cast a shadow over their relatives' gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Building the arch would be a “permanent denigration” of the gravesites, and the Kennedy offspring “would never again be able to appreciate both sites as they always have before, and as the Kennedy family always intended," lawyers for the relatives wrote.
- Kennedy Jr., Trump's health and human services secretary who has a fractured relationship with many of his relatives, did not join the lawsuit.
- They filed a motion to intervene in two existing lawsuits seeking to block construction of the arch.
- The White House said it was "unfortunate" to see that some members of the Kennedy family had joined litigation against an arch "intended to honor our heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery".
- Nine Kennedy family members have asked a judge to block President Trump's plan to build a 250-foot memorial arch.
What's still developing
- But US District Judge Tanya Chutkan then ruled there should be a 14-day pause before any work can start on the arch as litigation plays out.
- FILE - A mockup of President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch stands at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, June 27, 2026, in Washington.
- Trump told reporters Wednesday that the Kennedy Center might be “ripped down” if his administration did not receive “recognition” for working to improve it.
- After securing $250 million in congressional funding and vowing to “bring it to a higher level than it ever hit”—marble armrests; performances like Les Miserables ; “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS”—Trump has not improved the Kennedy Center.
- Kennedy Center is closing for two years, according to the President, for construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding.
- In late 2025, the Republican president also added his name to the Kennedy Center, a major Washington cultural institution named in honor of the Democratic president assassinated in 1963.
Sources
- ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videoslink
- BBClink
- Eagle-Tribunelink
- FOX 5 DClink
- NBC Newslink
- Motherjoneslink
- Abclink
- Thegriolink
- Al Jazeeralink
- AFPlink
- Justthenewslink
- Wqowlink
- NBC News — video link
- CNN — video link
- ABC News — video link
- NBC News — video link
- KTVN 2 News Nevada — video link
- DC News Now — video link