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Kennedys sue to block Trump’s gilded arch, saying it would ‘cast shadow’ over JFK grave site
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Nine Kennedy family members have filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration's plan to build a 25-foot gilded arch near their relatives' graves at Arlington National Cemetery, arguing it would cast shadows and diminish the memorial experience.
- The arch, modeled after Paris's Arc de Triomphe and topped with a winged figure, is said to obstruct the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, disrupting the symbolic national reunification design.
- The Kennedys claim the project violates laws protecting the cemetery, as it was authorized without required congressional approval, and they seek a court order to block construction.
- A federal judge has already imposed a 14-day halt on construction, with the Justice Department acknowledging the arch would not be completed until after Trump's second term.
- Trump has described the arch as a "top-grade military complex" featuring drone storage and sniper facilities, a characterization that contrasts with the family's concerns about preserving sacred national memorials.
