The Kennedy family has taken Trump to court over the construction of a triumphal arch in Washington

Nine members of the family of the 35th US President, John F. Kennedy, have spoken out against the Donald Trump administration’s plans to build a 76-metre-high triumphal arch in Washington. They have petitioned a federal court to block the project, which they argue would destroy the historic appearance of the memorial complex and obstruct the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. This is reported by the ‘Judicial and Legal Gazette’.

The substance of the legal claims

The claimants emphasise that the colossal structure, standing over 76 metres tall, will cast a shadow and disrupt the visual connection between the burial sites of the Kennedy family and those of over 400,000 American servicemen.

In particular, the construction work will significantly alter the conditions for visiting John F. Kennedy’s final resting place, where the Eternal Flame is located, as well as the graves of Senators Robert and Edward Kennedy.

The claimants emphasise that the architectural axis between the Arlington House and the Lincoln Memorial was created as a symbol of national reconciliation following the American Civil War, and that the new arch would destroy this integrity.

Who were the claimants?

The following parties have joined the claim:

The seven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy;

Their grandson, former Congressman Joe Kennedy III;

Senator Edward Kennedy’s son is Edward Kennedy Jr.

It is noteworthy that Robert Kennedy Jr., who heads the US Department of Health and Human Services in Donald Trump’s administration, did not join the lawsuit brought by his relatives.

Members of the Kennedy family have joined a wider legal challenge previously brought by heritage conservationists, veterans, and the authorities of the District of Columbia and the State of Virginia. The main legal argument is that the National Park Service and the US Department of the Interior approved the construction of the arch without the US Congress’s approval, which is required in such cases.

The White House’s reaction

Donald Trump’s administration has criticised the legal actions and accused the Kennedy family of ‘politicising’ the memorial project.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle stated that the triumphal arch is intended to honour American heroes and will become a major architectural and military memorial landmark in the capital. The White House emphasised that it would defend the legality of the construction in courts at all levels.

At present, the federal court has already issued a temporary injunction preventing any construction work from commencing on the site until the main hearings are scheduled.

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