Kennedy family sues Trump arch saying it will leave JFK flame in shadows

The Kennedy family has joined a lawsuit filed against the construction of President Trump’s controversial ceremonial arch.

​The planned 250-foot arch, which has been nicknamed “The Arc de Trump” on social media, is slated to be built near Arlington Cemetery. ​

The triumphal arch - sketches and models of which are replete with gold ornamentations and huge bird statues - has become increasingly controversial, with a judge temporarily blocking its construction last week.

​On Tuesday, nine members of the Kennedy family joined existing litigation aimed at stopping the huge project - alleging that it would overshadow their relatives’ graves and block the view of the eternal flame at President Kennedy’s grave site, court filings obtained by The Independent show.

​“The gigantic proposed arch is an illegal interference with Arlington National Cemetery and the heroes remembered there, including at the gravesites and memorials of the Kennedy brothers and Ethel Kennedy,” a statement from the family’s lawyers at the Democracy Defenders Fund reads. “Only Congress has the constitutional power to authorize an intrusion of this magnitude.

​“Today, members of the Kennedy family are joining with the other litigants in this case to protect this historic site - and to defend the rule of law and separation of powers.”

​U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled last week that there will be a 14-day pause in the arch’s construction, but is currently weighing a longer-term delay. Her decision followed an 8-4 vote by the National Capital Planning Commission approving the project.

​The nine members of the Kennedy clan joining the lawsuit brought by the state of Virginia and Washington D.C. include seven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy and their grandson Joe Kennedy, the filing, also seen by the BBC, states.

​Edward Kennedy Jr., the son of Ted Kennedy, is the ninth family member listed on the filing, which notably does not include Trump ally and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

​“It is unfortunate to see that some members of the Kennedy family have joined the litigation against the Arch as the project is intended to honor our heroes who rest in Arlington Cemetery,” spokesperson Davis Ingle told the outlet. “The judiciary should not be abused to politicize a structure designed to unite our nation.

​“We will continue making the case for this beautiful and fitting monument and are confident we will be fully vindicated as this litigation proceeds.”

​The arch is one of many construction and renovation projects carried out by the Trump administration in the nation’s capital, several of which have involved sites associated with the Kennedy family.

​Trump has paved over the White House Rose Garden during his first year back in office, describing it as the “Rose Garden Club.”

​The site had long been associated with former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who famously oversaw a redesign of the garden in the 1960s.

​Trump has also repeatedly tried to impose his name on the Kennedy Center, sparking an ongoing legal battle.