Kennedy family moves to block Trump's 250-foot arch over Arlington graves

Kennedy filing in Washington

Nine members of the Kennedy family moved on Tuesday, 10 November, to join litigation already pending in Washington that seeks to halt the 250-foot triumphal arch President Donald Trump wants to build near Arlington Memorial Bridge. Their filing argues that the structure would permanently cast a shadow over the graves of their parents, uncles and other relatives at Arlington National Cemetery. It also says the arch would obstruct the sightline from the eternal flame at President John F. Kennedy's gravesite, which the plaintiffs describe as an essential part of that site's design. The plaintiffs are children or grandchildren of Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, who are buried near the president.

Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said in a joint statement on behalf of the family:

“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”

Earlier challenges and the court pause

The Kennedy motion adds to a growing list of legal challenges. Veterans, a historian, and the governments of the District of Columbia, Virginia and Arlington County have also brought suits against the project. On 6 November a federal judge blocked any construction work on the arch for 14 days, and the Guardian identifies that judge as Tanya Chutkan. The Justice Department has said the arch would not be finished until after Trump's second term ends.

Design dispute

Trump has claimed the arch would be converted into a 'top-grade military complex' with drone and ammunition storage and customized sniper facilities on its roof and plaza. The Kennedy filing says the monument would block the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, two sites designed to face each other to represent national reunification after the Civil War. A Washington Post column noted that a Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial opened just north of the Lincoln Memorial on 24 October. The same column said a Global War on Terrorism Memorial is planned to break ground next year between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and that new memorial, and that a riverside Garden of American Heroes is planned for West Potomac Park.

Records and oversight

Democratic Representative Jared Huffman of California, the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, said on Tuesday that he had sent letters to federal agencies, including the Interior Department, and to private companies, asking them to preserve documents and other records. Congressional sources told CNN that several whistleblowers had approached the committee, claiming the Interior Department was destroying records ahead of scrutiny. Politico reported in August that three Interior staffers described repeated shredding of documents and the use of disappearing Signal messages to get around legally required preservation. The Interior Department called the whistleblower claims '100% false', and a White House spokesman said the administration expects all agencies to follow federal record retention rules.

What comes next

The reporting does not say when the court will rule on the Kennedy motion or whether the 14-day pause will be extended. Huffman said his committee's investigations would continue at full speed, while the White House and the Interior Department maintain that records rules are being followed.