Following a federal judge’s decision to block the construction of a giant arch commissioned by Donald Trump in Washington, the Kennedy family has filed a lawsuit against the administration. This is according to court documents made public by American media outlets.
U.S. President Donald Trump / REUTERS/Aaron Schwartz
“President Donald Trump is attempting to illegally erect a giant arch that will cast a permanent shadow” over “the graves and memorials dedicated to the Kennedy family at Arlington National Cemetery,” states the lawsuit filed by nine members of the Kennedy family, as noted by Le Figaro.
Former President John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline, and two of their children are buried at Arlington—a large military cemetery near Washington—as are his brothers, former senators Robert Kennedy and Edward Kennedy. Ethel Kennedy, Robert’s wife, is also interred there. The prominent Kennedy memorial, situated on a hill within the cemetery and featuring an eternal flame, draws thousands of visitors every day.
Along with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it is one of the most visited burial sites in the American capital. The family’s lawsuit alleges that the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior authorized the construction of the arch without congressional approval. They are seeking to have the authorization rescinded and the construction of the arch blocked. See also:
Trump wants to unveil a triumphal arch in his own honor in Washington for the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“This action is aimed at protecting sacred sites that belong to the American people,” stated Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy on behalf of the family. “Our parents, Robert and Ethel Kennedy, as well as our uncles, President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy, are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Our uncle, Joseph Kennedy Jr.—who died while serving our country in World War II—is also memorialized there. They are among the more than 400,000 veterans and their family members laid to rest on this hallowed ground. We believe that Donald Trump has violated laws and procedures established by Congress to protect this most sacred national memorial,” the members of the Kennedy family assert.
The Department of Justice recently stated that construction of the arch—modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris—would not be completed until after the end of Donald Trump’s second term. On November 6, a federal judge blocked any construction work on the arch for 14 days. Trump has stated that the structure will be transformed into a “top-tier military complex,” featuring storage facilities for drones and ammunition, as well as dedicated sniper positions on the roof and the plaza.
This arch is of particular importance to the American president, who is determined to leave as prominent a mark as possible on Washington, D.C.—a city where he has initiated an increasing number of projects. In late 2025, the Republican president also added his name to the Kennedy Center—a major Washington cultural institution named after a Democratic president who was assassinated in 1963. The name “Donald J. Trump” remained on the theater’s facade for more than six months, until a court ruled its placement unlawful.
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