A group of nine members of the Kennedy family filed a motion on Tuesday to participate in the ongoing legal challenge against President Donald Trump's plan to construct a triumphal arch in Washington, D.C. The family members, who are seeking to intervene in the case, argue that the proposed structure would negatively impact the historic landscape of Arlington National Cemetery.
In their complaint, the plaintiffs stated that the administration is attempting to erect a massive arch without proper legal authorization. They asserted that the structure would permanently cast shadows over and damage the historically significant sightlines to existing gravesites and memorials. These sites honor the Kennedy family as well as hundreds of thousands of fallen American heroes.
The individuals joining the litigation include Rory Kennedy, Maxwell Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, and Courtney Kennedy. Also participating are Senator Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, both children of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy. The group also includes Joseph P. Kennedy III, a grandchild of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy Jr., the son of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Rory and Maxwell Kennedy issued a statement on behalf of the family to explain their involvement in the dispute. They described the legal action as an effort to protect sacred spaces that belong to the American people. The statement noted that their parents, Robert and Ethel Kennedy, along with their uncles President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Uncle Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., who died in service during World War II, is also memorialized there.
The family emphasized that these individuals are part of a larger community of more than 400,000 veterans and family members buried or honored on the cemetery grounds. They claimed that the administration has violated the laws and procedures established by Congress to protect this national memorial. The Kennedys stated that by bringing the lawsuit, they are standing up for those who cannot stand for themselves.
In their statement, the family highlighted that Americans from all over the country visit Arlington to honor those who served. They argued that a towering arch casting shadows across the graves of their relatives and other service members would also cast a shadow over democratic principles. The family asked the administration to respect the sanctity of the cemetery and the rights of all Americans who visit to pay their respects.
The legal dispute follows a recent ruling by a federal judge who temporarily blocked the Trump administration from starting construction on the arch. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14 day temporary restraining order to halt the project. This decision came shortly after a federal planning commission had approved the plan to build the monument.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded to the family's intervention in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. He described the district court as an activist body that had temporarily blocked the long awaited construction. Ingle noted that the project was intended to honor the heroes resting in Arlington Cemetery and expressed regret that some Kennedy family members had joined the litigation against the arch.
The White House stated that the judiciary should not be used to politicize a structure designed to unite the nation. The administration expressed confidence that it would be vindicated as the litigation continues and looked forward to the completion of the monument, which it described as a tribute to 250 years of American greatness.
President Trump has previously stated that the arch would serve military purposes. In a post on Truth Social in September, he explained that the structure, planned since the Civil War era, would be converted into a top grade military complex and triumphal arch. He said it would be used to house, store, and rapidly deploy large numbers of drones and snipers on the roof and plaza areas, while also storing large quantities of sniper ammunition.
