Nine members of the Kennedy political dynasty joined a lawsuit on Tuesday to block Donald Trump’s planned 76-meter triumphal arch in Washington, according to Apollo.lv.
The proposed monument will measure 76 meters tall, and the planned structure would be much higher than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which served as its inspiration.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered a 14-day halt on construction before any work can begin, while legal challenges proceed, BBC reported.
The plaintiffs state that the structure would permanently cast a shadow and ruin historically significant sightlines toward Arlington National Cemetery, BBC reported. Nine political dynasty representatives said that the 76-meter-high arch would block the view of Kennedy's grave and thousands of veteran graves in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The legal filing includes seven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, their grandson former congressman Joe Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy’s son Edward Kennedy Jr., BBC reported.
The complainants emphasize that the arch would be a permanent desecration of cemeteries and that the family would never again be able to appreciate both places as before. In Arlington National Cemetery are buried US President John Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy, and two of their children, alongside the former president's brothers, former US senators Robert Kennedy and Edward Kennedy.
Lawsuits challenge the arch construction authorization
The Kennedy family joined a joint lawsuit filed by the state of Virginia and Washington, D.C., alongside separate complaints from conservation activists and veterans, BBC reported. Several veterans as well as the attorneys general of Washington and Virginia turned to court with a request to stop the construction of the arch. The Trump administration believes that Congress gave authorization for the construction of such a monument decades ago, seeking justification for this claim in a 1925 law that provided for the creation of a memorial. Judge Chutkan rejected this argument, pointing to the unlikely possibility that a law passed a hundred years ago would have given the authority to build a 250-foot or approximately 76-meter-high arch in such a significant location in the US capital, and furthermore that such authority had not been noticed by any previous administration.
Meanwhile, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson indicated that the project has not received the necessary congressional approval and its implementation has not been allocated funding, and also emphasized that the project submitted to the commission does not include the military function discussed by Trump administration officials. Commission member Paul Ingrassia, who works at the General Services Administration, said that the idea is not political, but rather a tribute to history and veterans.
Commission Chairman Mark Paoletta, appointed by Trump, emphasized that large monuments matter in shaping national identity. Four NCPC members who voted against urged postponing the decision, pointing out that Congress has not yet allocated funding for this project, and legal objections and questions regarding statements by Defense Minister Pete Hegseth concerning the military use of the arch exist.
“It is regrettable to see some members of the Kennedy family join litigation against an arch designed to honor our heroes who rest at Arlington Cemetery,” Davis R. Ingle said, BBC reported.
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the project last week in an 8-4 vote, BBC reported.
On the project website promoted by the White House, the idea is presented as a tribute to the 250-year history of the US and its military heroes, and the website names the monument the “Military Triumphal Arch,” which also publishes a statement by Trump himself: “This will be the biggest and most beautiful triumphal arch anywhere in the world.”
Questions Regarding the Arlington Memorial Project
Who filed the lawsuit against the triumphal arch?
Nine members of the Kennedy family, the state of Virginia, Washington, D.C., conservation activists, and veterans filed legal challenges against the project, BBC reported.
What is the planned height of the structure?
The proposed monument will measure 76 meters tall, BBC reported.
How long did the federal judge halt construction?
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day pause on any work while the court reviews the legal objections, BBC reported. At the end of 2025, Trump added his name to the Washington Kennedy Center, one of the most important cultural institutions of the US capital named after former President John Kennedy, before the name was later removed following legal action.