On Friday, Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of the late President Kennedy, made headlines by reaching out to potential supporters for his congressional campaign in New York City.
In a fundraising email, he introduced himself with, “My name is Jack Schlossberg. My grandfather, President Kennedy, is my hero.” That opening sets quite a tone, doesn’t it?
This 32-year-old, seemingly more of a social media personality than a seasoned politician, is banking on his family name and perhaps a bit of elite privilege to secure a spot in New York’s 12th Congressional District.
“I come from a long tradition of public service, from my great-grandparents to my mother, Caroline Kennedy,” he elaborated in his email.
Schlossberg, who describes his mission as more than just upholding family expectations, stated, “This is bigger than living up to my family name.” It’s a bold claim, considering his background as a surf shop worker and the role he now seeks.
He quoted his grandfather, saying, “We do it not because it’s easy, but because it’s difficult.” Perhaps that sounds inspiring, or maybe just a bit cliché to some people.
Having graduated from Harvard Law School three years ago, Schlossberg has since floated between surf shops in Hawaii and occasional writing jobs. He does have a decent following—around 800,000 on TikTok—where he shares casual political thoughts along with glimpses of his life.
As he aims to capture the seat currently held by Congressman Jerry Nadler, it seems he hopes his social media savvy and family legacy will help him win over voters.
In one of his rare non-family-focused comments, he expressed a long-standing interest in politics, but perhaps not in the most traditional sense. “I’ve always been passionate about politics. If you’ve seen any of my social media posts, you’ll probably understand just as much :),” he said.
Interestingly, despite his liberal leanings, Schlossberg couldn’t pass up the opportunity to mention the incumbent, suggesting there may be some familial tension, as he noted, “Donald Trump and his allies (my cousin RFK Jr., to name one) are draining the economy, attacking free speech, and instilling distrust in decades of scientific research.”
Following his campaign announcement, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt characterized Schlossberg’s remarks as “ridiculous comments” about the administration.
