Several members of the Kennedy family are taking a break from attacking their family member, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and are aiming their wrath instead at President Trump. Specifically, at the president's plan to build a Triumphal Arch outside of Arlington National Cemetery.
Their complaint? Shadows.
Yes, shadows.
Nine members of the Kennedy clan, including seven of RFK Jr.'s siblings, filed a motion on Tuesday seeking to join the existing lawsuits that are challenging Trump's proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch, which would stand near Arlington National Cemetery and mark the celebration of America's 250th birthday.
The Kennedys claim that the massive monument would cast shadows over the graves of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and other family members buried at Arlington. They also claim to be worried that the arch would ruin the historic views of the cemetery.
Siblings Rory and Maxwell Kennedy released an overwrought statement claiming their request was simply about “protecting sacred spaces,” while adding that they believed Trump had “violated the laws and procedures established by Congress to protect this most sacred national memorial.”
Here's more:
“A towering arch casting shadows across the graves of our father, mother, and uncles, as well as the graves of so many who have served our country, would also cast a shadow over our democratic principles, undermining the safeguards established by our elected representatives to protect this hallowed ground for generations to come,” the statement said.
Holy melodrama, Batman.
Nine members of the Kennedy family are suing to block President Trump’s triumphal arch, saying that the planned 250-foot-tall structure would wrongly cast a shadow on John F. Kennedy’s grave site and other graves in Arlington National Cemetery. https://t.co/hOOsgVxQXd
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 11, 2026
As RedState's Nick Arama reported last month, the Washington Post actually created a 3-D analysis of the shadows that the yet-to-be-built arch could cast on Arlington National Cemetery. It found that on May 12, one of the days with the longest shadows, the arch would shade JFK's grave for a whopping nine minutes, just after sunrise.
And on most days, the shadows would be gone before the cemetery even opens to visitors. The horror! Apparently, the Kennedys read WaPo's ace reporting on shadows and decided they'd found their next great cause.
Among those seeking to join the lawsuits are Kerry Kennedy, Rory Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, and former Rep. Joe Kennedy III. RFK Jr., who has already committed the unforgivable Kennedy sin of joining the Trump administration, did not join his siblings in the effort.
The family is being represented by Norm Eisen and the Democracy Defenders Fund, otherwise known as the usual suspects when it comes to obstructing President Trump's plan to beautify Washington, D.C.
Last week, as RedState reported, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan temporarily blocked construction of the arch while the legal questions surrounding congressional authorization are sorted out.
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