Jack Schlossberg said online trolling helps his campaign. Does it?
Jack Schlossberg, a Kennedy heir, has become known for his sometimes outlandish social media posts.
That's why many were shocked when the 33-year-old announced he was running for NY-12, one of New York City's most notable districts. But the social media personality has defended his online presence and persona, saying that it has actually aided in his campaign.
Who is Jack Schlossberg?
Schlossberg is the son of Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy.
He's currently running for Manhattan's 12th district, which includes some of the most important places in the city, like the Empire State Building and United Nations.
The Democratic primary will take place this June.
Jack Schlossberg's social posts
Schlossberg has a notable digital footprint. Sometimes he's poking fun at politicians, including his own family member, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary of the United States. Or maybe he's just giving his hot take on a topic, like if fruit belongs with meat. Either way, the political-hopeful says it's all intentional.
"You don’t have to be just boring all the time. You can show that you can be a politician, a Democrat, that’s fun and exciting, people resonate with, and can talk about policy," he said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
"If I tweet something or whatever that’s, that some find offensive or, or vulgar, I’m holding up a mirror right back to them and saying, 'Look what the president tweets every single day.'"
Schlossberg said that he regrets none of his posts, and that he's using it as a tool to break through.
"'The medium is the message' is a famous saying, and I know how to breathe that air, and breathing that air means shock value. It means using every tool at your disposal, your sense of humor."
On Thursday, May 14, the Times published "Inside Jack Schlossberg’s Chaotic Campaign to Revive Camelot." The report included multiple claims from sources of dysfunction in his campaign, including that Schlossberg had high staff turnover, regularly skips strategy meetings and disappears for long periods of time with little explanation. It said that during his campaign launch, Schlossberg had to leave to take a nap — a claim that the hopeful congressman joked about after.
"Needed a quick nap !! Even though I just woke up. Rest of the day / month wide open lmk if you wanna hang," he wrote on X.
"Wait nvm changed my mind really busy can’t make it."
In other posts, he says that Vice President JD Vance "killed the pope," RFK Jr. only making sense "as a Russian asset :)" and telling his followers "we will lose 1 hour of sleep and we will be okay" when the clocks changed.
Schlossberg's office did not immediately respond for comment on his social media presence.
But despite the posts, a March poll showed that Schlossberg was holding an early lead for the NY-12 seat, with 25% in support, according to Patch. He's also been endorsed by Nancy Pelosi.
"I was born with a platform, and I was born into a family whose legacy is not celebrity as, as kind of understood now, but public service, and that’s something that I wanna continue," he said in the VF interview.
"We need to do everything we can to make sure that corporate interests are not buying members of Congress, ’cause I think if you ask me, AI, big tech, and billionaires, they control enough members of Congress right now. I don’t think they need another one."