Kennedy descendants seek court order to stop Trump-backed Washington arch
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Members of the Kennedy family have moved to intervene in federal lawsuits to block President Donald Trump’s massive proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, arguing the project was rammed forward without proper congressional approval.
Nine members of the Kennedy family, including children and grandchildren of former Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, filed a motion to intervene in two existing federal cases on Tuesday. The filing seeks to halt the construction of a 76-metre granite and gold-ornamented structure that President Donald Trump plans for Washington, DC, near the graves of the late senators, their brother former President John F. Kennedy, and the Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery.
The plaintiffs, represented by Washington lawyer Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund, argue that the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior pushed the project through without the congressional authorization required for such a monument. They contend the arch would "fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites" and would disrupt the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House across the Memorial Bridge.
The intervention adds to a growing list of challengers that includes Vietnam War veterans, a historian, and the governments of the District of Columbia, Virginia and Arlington County. District Judge Tanya Chutkan recently ordered a 14-day pause on ground-breaking for the arch pending further review of the lawsuits.
Rory and Maxwell Kennedy, speaking for the family, said the action is intended to "protect sacred spaces that belong to the American people" and emphasized the importance of preserving a site that honors more than 400,000 veterans and their families.