Kennedy Family Sues To Block Trump’s 250-Foot Arch—Says It Would Cast Shadow On JFK’s Grave

Members of the Kennedy family are seeking to intervene in the legal battle to prevent the construction of a triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., which has been championed by President Donald Trump. The arch, known as the "Independence Arch," would stand at 250-feet-tall and be built in Memorial Circle, according to attorneys representing the children and grandchildren of former President John F. Kennedy's brothers, Robert and Edward Kennedy.

The motion, filed on Tuesday, claims that the arch would obstruct the sight line between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, where the Kennedy brothers are buried, as well as the eternal flame, a memorial to John F. Kennedy. The arch would also cast a permanent shadow over the graves of servicemen and women interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

The White House has not yet commented on the motion to intervene. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from beginning any construction-related activity on the arch for two weeks, and now the judge has consolidated relevant lawsuits from Virginia, the District of Columbia, and another filed by Vietnam War veterans who oppose the arch's construction.