Summary
Nine members of the Kennedy family have asked to join a lawsuit seeking to stop President Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. They say it would obstruct views of Kennedy family graves and the Eternal Flame; a federal judge has temporarily barred construction-related activity while the legal challenge proceeds.Key Facts
- The Kennedy family members filed court papers Tuesday seeking to join Washington, D.C., and Virginia as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
- The proposed arch would stand at a traffic circle across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial.
- The family members say the arch would block sightlines to the Kennedy gravesites and the Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Several Vietnam War veterans are also suing the Trump administration over the project.
- The National Capital Planning Commission approved the arch plans last week.
- U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan barred the government from starting construction-related activity for 14 days, finding the plan likely illegal.
- The government says the arch complies with the law and argues that the plaintiffs lack standing to sue.
