Plaintiffs include seven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy but not RFK Jr
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.” “The judiciary should not be abused to politicize a structure designed to unite our nation,” White House spokesman Davis R Ingle said in a statement to the BBC. “We will continue making the case for this beautiful and fitting monument and are confident we will be fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds,” he added.
The nine family members bringing the complaint include seven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, their grandson — former Democratic congressman Joe Kennedy — and Ted Kennedy’s son Edward Kennedy Jr. The group does not include Robert F Kennedy Jr, a Trump cabinet official who leads the Department of Health and Human Services.
The complaint was filed under a joint lawsuit brought by the state of Virginia and Washington DC seeking to block construction of the 250-foot (76-meter) structure, which the family argues would damage “historically significant sightlines” if erected at the gateway of Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The Kennedys say the arch would block the view of John F Kennedy’s grave as well as the graves of thousands of veterans buried at the cemetery.
Last week the project won approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, but US District Judge Tanya Chutkan then ruled there should be a 14-day pause before any work can start on the arch as the litigation plays out.
In their complaint, the relatives say the arch “will permanently cast shadows over and damage historically significant sightlines to the existing gravesites and memorials established in the Kennedy family’s honor” at the cemetery. They call the structure a “permanent denigration” of the gravesites and say the Kennedy offspring “would never again be able to appreciate both sites as they always have before, and as the Kennedy family always intended.” The family adds that the structure would “fundamentally alter the experience of visiting the gravesites,” including the memorials of hundreds of thousands of US veterans.
On a separate legal question, the complaint alleges that the National Park Service and the Interior Department authorized construction on November 5, 2026, without the necessary congressional approval.
The family also moved to intervene in two other lawsuits filed by conservationists and veterans seeking to halt construction.
Trump last year added his name to the Kennedy Center, a major Washington DC cultural institution named in honor of John F Kennedy. His name remained on the facade for six months until the addition was ruled illegal and removed.
The so-called “Arc de Trump” is one of the president’s efforts to remake the capital city and is meant to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. Protesters have demonstrated against the proposed arch.
The arch remains subject to the 14-day pause while the Kennedy family’s motion to intervene and the other lawsuits proceed. No construction can begin during the pause.