With the Camelot legacy behind him, it is smart that Jack Schlossberg — the one grandson of President John F. Kennedy — is operating for political workplace, similar to so a lot of his household earlier than him.
However the 33-year-old, who’s operating for Congress to symbolize Manhattan’s 12th district, is weighed down by his historical past of controversial on-line antics, a lackluster job historical past and a platform that, to date, has few specifics.
Schlossberg has received loads of consideration for being a firebrand on social media, and when he met with The Submit this week, he returned to a frequent goal who could be very near him, in Secretary of Well being and Human Providers secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose views on science and vaccines he’s towards.
“I want he hadn’t been doing what he’s doing,” stated Schlossberg, referring to RFK Jr. “No one needs to be the one who’s combating with your loved ones in public.”
He informed The Submit his mom, US ambassador Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, was reluctant to talk out towards their cousin when she issued a public letter to Senators, calling Kennedy Jr. “a predator” with “harmful views” on the eve of his affirmation hearings for the cabinet-level publish final yr.
“My mom didn’t wish to put the letter up,” he stated, including that he posted the letter on his social media platforms.
“She needs that it wasn’t occurring however it wasn’t her selection. We have been pushed into the pool and we didn’t need anybody to be confused about what we consider and what President’s Kennedy’s help can be and the way harmful it was to our future.”
The Trump administration is one other of Schlosberg’s frequent targets, which he additionally credit as a supply of his recognition, having amassed 874,000 followers on Instagram.
“Social media is a tremendous strategy to construct belief and individuals who come as much as me, who know my Instagram, usually thank me. At first I couldn’t consider it,” he stated.
“Particularly originally of the Trump administration … There weren’t that many individuals difficult, and they also affiliate me with any person who’s keen to say issues.”
A few of his more odd on-line posts have included donning a wig to mock First Woman Melania Trump and making a publish the place he claimed he and Second Woman Usha Vance have been “having a child,” and “may get married,” with an image of her holding a baby along with his face photoshopped onto it.
Trolling RFK Jr., Schlossberg beforehand wrote a recipe for a Make America Wholesome Once more
“power ball” cocktail, which he claimed ought to embody: “2 ozof Jew blood (ashkenazi not Sephardic). 4 cups of male j–z. Baked at 300 levels till completely dry like your spouse,” referring to actress Cheryl Hines.
Since saying his marketing campaign, Schlossberg has adopted a extra company demeanor and was wearing a black overcoat and crisp white shirt when he met The Submit.
He proudly states he’s his personal marketing campaign supervisor and that he’s been doing virtually all the things within the “Jack for New York” marketing campaign himself. This isn’t precisely true. Annabel Lassally, a former particular assistant to New York Governor Kathy Hochul left the management of the marketing campaign in December, after two months on the job. Lassally didn’t return a request for remark.
Schlossberg has a legislation diploma and MBA from Harvard, however his opponents have criticized an obvious lack of real-world work expertise, accusing him of buying and selling on his household historical past.
“Jack has no clue why he’s operating, so it stands to cause nobody else does both,” stated a Democratic strategist for one in all his opponents. “His marketing campaign’s most substantial doc is his delivery certificates.”
Schlossberg dismisses the criticisms, saying: “I’ve work expertise and I actually benefit from the criticism that I’ve by no means had a job, particularly when it’s coming from different opponents who’ve employed fancy consulting companies to do their social media.”
He added he has labored for the State Division prior to now on the Bureau of Oceans and Setting.
On his fairly quick resume, he additionally listed himself in his 2025 congressional disclosure as correspondent for Vogue journal. Nonetheless, a consultant informed The Submit Schlossberg “was Vogue’s election correspondent by the 2024 election, so he didn’t work with us in 2025.”
He additionally claimed he labored for, then give up, ex-President Joe Biden’s re-election social media workforce in 2023.
“I stated, ‘I’ve an intuition about how Democrats want to speak.’ They stated ‘no’ to each concept I had. I give up, and began making my very own movies.”
A senior Biden marketing campaign official informed The Submit Schlossberg by no means labored in any official capability for them, though he interviewed at a number of completely different departments, together with social media.
And, to his detractors’ level, as hands-on as Schlossberg could also be along with his marketing campaign, he’s decidedly hands-off on the subject of incomes money.
In his monetary disclosures, revealed this week, Schlossberg listed no earned earnings in 2025. He does, nonetheless, have 4 household trusts, which recommend he’s price between slightly below $11 million and practically $32 million.
Schlossberg claims his man-of-the-people picture is bolstered by his donations, including: “We’re creating a brand new means of doing issues … You see it within the numbers. Our fundraising common donation is below 40 bucks. I believe we’re as much as 45,000 particular person contributions.”
Whereas that could be the case, the duality of being a grassroots fundraiser and the scion of a political dynasty is on full show in Schlossberg’s backers.
Lots of the large cash particular person donations come from rich household mates and celebrities. Musician Paul Simon donated $7,000, Saturday Evening Stay creator Lorne Michaels gave $3,500, cookbook creator Ina Garten gave $2,000 and dressmaker Lisa Perry gave $3,500 to Jack for New York, amongst many different daring face names.
Donors can contribute a most of $3,500 to the first race, which takes place in June, and one other $3,500 for the overall election in November, based on FEC guidelines.
1000’s extra got here from his dad and mom and prolonged household, together with aunt Vicki Kennedy who pledged $7,000, cousin Kerry Kennedy who gave $500, and older sister Tatiana, 35, who contributed $5,000 earlier than her dying from a uncommon type of leukemia in December.
“She [Tatiana] was actually excited concerning the marketing campaign,” stated Schlossberg, including that his complete household is rooting for him. “I believe it’s been loads of enjoyable for my household to have one thing to cheer for, and turn into invested in when experiencing loss.”
Contributions to Schlossberg’s marketing campaign at present whole practically $2 million, based on a marketing campaign volunteer, though these numbers usually are not but mirrored on the Federal Election Fee’s (FEC) site — which lists his marketing campaign’s totals at $1.1 million.
Schlossberg additionally has the endorsement of former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He informed The Submit she solely agreed to again him after an hourlong “interview” through which she requested him all about why he needed to run.
Nonetheless, different sources within the Democratic occasion claimed they thought San Francisco-based Pelosi’s actual cause for backing Schlossberg was to get again at 17-term Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who introduced his retirement final yr. He has handpicked Micah Lasher to be his successor within the sprawling 12th district, which Schlossberg can be competing for.
The district encompasses Midtown, Gramercy Park, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, the Higher East Facet and Higher West Facet in addition to Roosevelt Island, and the democratic main faces a crowded area, with 13 candidates.
Schlossberg actually has a bonus over his opponents on the subject of on-line visibility, with the subsequent hottest candidate, Lasher, having simply 7,200 followers on Instagram.
Throughout The Submit’s go to Schlossberg towered over many New York Metropolis Housing Authority residents he was visiting in Chelsea, a lot of whom vied for his consideration.
With a purpose to assist residents, Schlossberg unveiled his “Repair-It Now” initiative, with volunteers urging tenants so as to add their names to a type with an outline of what they wanted repairing of their items.
“His final identify isn’t Kennedy and he doesn’t have the expertise,” stated Hank Sheinkopf, a political strategist. “His enchantment could be glamor and the politics of the previous, however within the harsh world of New York Metropolis politics, that’s not going to work.”
