Nine members of the family of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy have joined a lawsuit against the construction of Donald Trump's triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., The New York Times reports. The decision by relatives of one of the nation's most prominent political dynasties has significantly strengthened the plaintiffs' legal position, turning the monument dispute into a high-profile case involving issues of historical memory, urban planning, and the limits of presidential power.
A contentious project
According to the submitted design, the arch will stand 76 meters tall. The monument is planned to be adorned with golden angel sculptures, one of which will hold a torch with an eternal flame. Trump intends to erect the arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery—the burial site for American soldiers, as well as John Kennedy, his brothers Robert and Edward, and other family members. It is this proximity to the gravesites that has made the project particularly sensitive for the former president's kin.
Arguments from the Kennedy family
A statement issued on behalf of the family emphasizes that the arch would disrupt "a line of sight designed as a symbol of national unity after the Civil War, which has existed for nearly a century." The authors of the statement also point out that the monument would cast a shadow over the graves of the former president's relatives and those of "soldiers who gave their lives for the country." Thus, the lawsuit is based not only on aesthetic grounds but also on symbolic and memorial ones.
Positions and project approval
The project has already received approval from the Trump-aligned National Capital Planning Commission, which critics argue predetermined its path forward. Simultaneously, veterans, historians, and local authorities have opposed the construction, citing the monument's incompatibility with the historical planning of the memorial landscape. The disparity in assessments—from support at the planning commission level to widespread criticism from professional and public circles—has become a key element of the conflict.
Judicial intervention
On November 6, 2026, federal judge Tanya Chutkan blocked the start of construction. Work has been halted for 14 days, during which time the courts must review the lawsuits filed against the project. The judge's decision has effectively frozen the monument's realization and moved the dispute into a judicial arena, where both the Kennedy family's arguments and the legal grounds cited by the pro-construction side are expected to be evaluated.
The triumphal arch case has become a new example of how presidential infrastructure and memorial initiatives in Washington face legal and public hurdles. The outcome of this 14-day judicial window will determine if the project gets a chance to proceed or is halted permanently.
