Kennedy Family Joins Lawsuit to Stop Trump's Massive Triumphal Arch Near Arlington National Cemetery
Several members of the Kennedy family have signed onto a legal fight against a planned triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, the latest flashpoint in President Trump's push for grand new monuments in the capital.
ARLINGTON, Va. — Members of the Kennedy family have joined a lawsuit aimed at blocking a large triumphal arch the Trump administration wants to build near Arlington National Cemetery, adding one of America's most storied political dynasties to a growing fight over the project.
The arch is part of a broader push by President Trump to remake Washington's monumental core with grander, more imperial-style architecture, an ambition he has pursued since returning to office. Critics of the specific site say a structure of the proposed scale would loom over the cemetery and alter the solemn approach to one of the nation's most sacred burial grounds, where tens of thousands of U.S. service members — including President John F. Kennedy — are laid to rest.
Court filings do not specify which Kennedy family members joined the suit, but their involvement adds symbolic weight to opponents' argument that the project encroaches on hallowed ground tied directly to American military and political history. Arlington is the burial site not only of JFK but of his brother Robert F. Kennedy and other family members, along with veterans from every major U.S. conflict since the Civil War.
THIS GROUND BELONGS TO EVERY FAMILY THAT HAS EVER BURIED SOMEONE THERE.
The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal and preservation disputes to follow the administration's architectural ambitions, which have also included plans for new federal buildings designed in a classical style mandated by executive order. Supporters of the arch have described it as a fitting tribute to American military sacrifice; opponents argue the National Park Service and military authorities that oversee Arlington's grounds were not given adequate opportunity to weigh in before the project moved forward.
It is not yet clear when a judge will rule on the request to halt construction, or whether the administration will alter the design or siting of the arch in response to the challenge. The Army, which administers Arlington National Cemetery, declined to comment on pending litigation.