Nine members of the Kennedy family asked a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday for permission to join the legal battle against President Donald Trump’s planned “triumphal” arch, arguing the structure would cast a shadow over some of their relatives’ graves.
The Kennedys said the arch’s planned location in the nation’s capital would also obstruct the clear sight line from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame memorial across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, which the family called “an essential element” of the design.
The high-profile request once again pits one of the most storied families in American history against Trump. The two sides have also sparred over Trump’s attempt to remake the Kennedy Center. Trump closed the arts institution after a judge blocked him from adding his name to the building.
The Kennedys asking to join the suit include seven of Robert F. Kennedy’s living children — all except Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In a statement, Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said the request was about “protecting sacred spaces,” adding that they believed Trump had “violated the laws and procedures established by Congress to protect this most sacred national memorial.”
“A towering arch casting shadows across the graves of our father, mother, and uncles, as well as the graves of so many who have served our country, would also cast a shadow over our democratic principles, undermining the safeguards established by our elected representatives to protect this hallowed ground for generations to come,” the statement said.
The District of Columbia and Virginia, as well as Vietnam War veteran and former U.S. ambassador Michael Lemmon, had sued over the project. The Kennedys asked to join both suits, arguing they have a “direct, immediate stake in this matter and claims that share common questions of law.”
The arch is set to be built on Memorial Circle, between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is designed to stand at 250 feet tall, more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial.
A federal judge blocked construction on the project last week, shortly after a planning board with a majority of Trump-aligned members voted to approve it.
Kennedy family members buried at Arlington include President John F. Kennedy, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy.
The Kennedys asking to join the suit argue they have “a unique interest” in the property.
“As members of the Kennedy family, intervenors have a particular interest in protecting the Kennedy Gravesites, ensuring that these Gravesites remain unimpeded as a solemn and sacred memorial to the legacy of the Kennedy family,” they wrote.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in response to the suit that the administration is “confident we will be fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds.”
“It is unfortunate to see that some members of the Kennedy family have joined the litigation against the Arch as the project is intended to honor our heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery,” Ingle said in a statement. “The judiciary should not be abused to politicize a structure designed to unite our nation.”
