Kennedy family asks court to block Trump arch construction

The Kennedy family has petitioned a court to halt construction of a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch, ordered by President Donald Trump, according to court papers. The arch, if built, would be the largest of its kind globally and is part of a series of projects the president is spearheading to leave his mark on Washington. The Kennedy family contends that the arch would obstruct views of the gravesites of John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and their two children at Arlington National Cemetery.

Additionally, they argue that the arch's location would disrupt the sight line between the Lincoln Memorial and the cemetery, a design intended to symbolize national unity following the Civil War. Notably, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who currently holds the position of Health Secretary under Trump, was not among the nine plaintiffs in this lawsuit.

Arlington National Cemetery, a significant military cemetery near Washington, is the final resting place for former presidents John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and another brother Edward M. Kennedy, both former senators. Ethel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's wife, is also interred at the cemetery.

The memorial atop the hill where the cemetery is situated attracts thousands of visitors daily, along with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In early November, a US judge temporarily halted the arch's construction for two weeks to allow time to address legal challenges to the project. Earlier this year, the Republican president also added his name to the Kennedy Center, a major cultural institution named after the Democratic president assassinated in 1963.

The center bore the name "Donald J. Trump" on its facade for over six months before the new name was deemed illegal and removed.