Several members of the Kennedy family have joined the legal battle to stop President Trump from building a large triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. In court filings Tuesday, nine members of the famous family, including several children and grandchildren of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy, argued that the 250-foot-high arch would block views of the Kennedy family graves and the “Eternal Flame” that commemorates President John F. Kennedy. The three brothers, Robert F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, are buried at Arlington. Family members wrote that the project “will cast a permanent shadow over the graves of service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, including Kennedy’s graves.” Family members are seeking to intervene as plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the city of Washington, D.C. and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Several Vietnam War veterans are also suing the Trump administration over the arch. “Americans from all corners of the country visit Arlington to honor those who served and sacrificed for our nation,” Rory Kennedy and Maxwell Kennedy said in a statement about the lawsuit. “A towering arch that casts shadows over the graves of our father, mother and uncles, as well as the graves of so many people who have served our country, would also cast a shadow over our democratic principles, undermining the safeguards put in place by our elected representatives to protect this sacred ground for generations to come.” The Justice Department had no comment on the filing when contacted by CBS News. The proposed arch, planned for a rotunda across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., is part of a series of construction projects in and around the nation’s capital that Trump has personally pushed. His administration says the arch would commemorate 250 years of American independence. He tried to start building as early as this month. But the project has received strong pushback from local officials, congressional Democrats and some veterans and others interested in Arlington National Cemetery. Opponents argue that the Trump administration did not follow proper legal processes in building the arch and warn that it would block sight lines between the cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The National Capital Planning Commission, which is packed with Trump allies, voted to approve plans for the arch last week. But U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan quickly blocked the government from starting any “construction-related activity” for 14 days, deeming the plan likely illegal. The plaintiffs have asked the court for a longer-term injunction. The government has argued that the proposed arch does not violate the law and says the plaintiffs have no standing to sue over the project. White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement last week: “We are confident that we will be fully vindicated as this litigation moves forward and we look forward to seeing the completion of this magnificent Arch, a tribute to 250 years of American greatness.” This is not the first time members of the Kennedy family have criticized Trump’s architectural overhaul of the D.C. area. Several family members have also spoken out against Trump’s attempts to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, including the niece and great-nephew of the center’s namesake, Kerry Kennedy and Joe Kennedy III, who are seeking to join the triumphal arch lawsuit as plaintiffs. Kerry Kennedy’s brother, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told CBS News earlier this year that he was not involved in the proposed name change for the performing arts center and that he did not “Of course I understand it, but I have more important things to do,” he said when asked about the reaction of some of his family members. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
