Nine members of the Kennedy family have asked a federal court to block President Donald Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot triumphal arch near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The family says the arch would obstruct views of President John F. Kennedy’s grave and those of thousands of veterans buried at Arlington.
The family joined a lawsuit brought by Virginia and the District of Columbia, which contend the arch would disrupt historic views at the cemetery entrance. The Kennedys also asked to intervene in separate cases brought by conservation groups and veterans’ organizations. A federal judge ordered a 14-day pause on the project last week after the National Capital Planning Commission voted to let construction proceed.
Nine members of the Kennedy family have filed a motion to join existing lawsuits challenging President Trump’s proposed triumphal arch.
They argue the structure would "obstruct the clear sightline of the Kennedy Gravesites and JFK Eternal Flame" and "permanently cast a shadow… pic.twitter.com/91QzzrHAsW
— ABC News (@ABC) November 11, 2026
In court papers, the family called the proposed arch a “permanent denigration” of the gravesites. The filing says the structure “will permanently cast shadows over and damage historically significant sightlines to the existing gravesites and memorials established in the Kennedy family’s honor” and would “fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites,” including those of hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members.
The family also challenged the federal government’s authority to begin construction. The complaint alleges that the National Park Service and the Interior Department authorized work on Nov. 5 without first obtaining the required approval from Congress.
Seven of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s children took part in the filing, along with their grandson, former Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy Jr., a son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not join his relatives in the case.
The White House said it was “unfortunate” that members of the family had joined the litigation over an arch “intended to honor our heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery.”
“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,” White House spokesman Davis R. Ingle said in a statement.
Trump proposed the arch as part of his plans to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. The dispute follows an earlier fight over the Kennedy Center in Washington, which bears the late president’s name.
