Jack Schlossberg, the sole grandson of John F. Kennedy, has officially announced his candidacy for a congressional seat, continuing his family’s political legacy.

At 32, Schlossberg has built a significant online presence with his lively and often controversial videos on social media platforms such as X, Instagram, and TikTok. His content, often critical of the Trump administration, has garnered him a following of over 1.7 million.

In a message to his supporters on Tuesday evening, Schlossberg revealed his intention to campaign for the congressional seat currently held by Jerrold Nadler. Nadler, a veteran member of the Democratic caucus at 78, is stepping down after serving for 34 years.

Schlossberg enters a competitive race in New York City’s most affluent and historic district. He will face opposition from various candidates, including two state assembly members, a city council representative, and Liam Elkind, a 26-year-old nonprofit founder.

Schlossberg plans to leverage his social media expertise to stand out in the crowded field. Addressing those who label him ‘crazy,’ he defended his approach in an interview with The New York Times.

‘I think that this district needs somebody who knows how to fight effectively in this new political era that we’re living in,’ Schlossberg said. 

He went on to argue that Democrats ‘need to specifically elect people who both get policy and know how to break through in new media, because it’s a toxic, polluted ecosystem, thanks to the president.’ 

Schlossberg, whose mother Caroline was only five years old when her father, JFK, died, also insisted that his own questionable social media posts – from challenging his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr to a fight to implying he was having a baby with Second Lady Usha Vance – served a purpose.

John F Kennedy’s only grandson Jack Schlossberg, 32, announced on Tuesday he is running for Congress

Schlossberg is the son of Caroline Kennedy, John F Kennedy’s only daughter

‘Since I started making videos, people have been calling me crazy, but there’s been a strategy and method to what I’ve been doing,’ he told the Times.

‘First of all, if somebody thinks I’m crazy because they saw one of my videos, that means that they saw one of my videos, which means that they got some information about the Trump administration and politics that they might not have otherwise gotten.

‘Second of all, I trust people,’ he said. ‘I have confidence that people understand what’s going on.’

Schlossberg’s mother, Caroline, also told the Times that her son has identified a weakness in the Democratic Party’s strategy.

‘I’m impressed that he thought through the different ways of doing that and is willing to take the consequences when he takes a risk that people find offensive,’ she said.

Schlossberg has been especially critical of his cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, ever since he launched his failed presidential run in 2023.

At the time, Schlossberg accused his cousin of ‘trading in on Camelot, celebrity, conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame.’

Schlossberg later went after RFK Jr again during his Senate confirmation hearing, echoing his mom’s brutal critique urging senators to reject his nomination.

Caroline had called her cousin RFK Jr a ‘predator’ who is willfully misinformed about vaccines, and a dangerous liar who has cheated his way through life.

Schlossberg is running to replace 78-year-old Jerrold Nadler (pictured), one of the oldest members in the Democratic caucus, who is retiring after 34 years in office

Earlier this year, Schlossberg also took to Instagram and his 600,000 followers accusing Kennedy of ‘spewing lies’ that the CIA was involved in JFK’s assassination.  

‘Why are you scared of me? Why don’t you ever respond? Are you busy pouring [sic] over the JFK files? Or is Cheryl just really dry down there?’ he taunted his cousin, referring to his wife, actress Cheryl Hines. 

The following month, Schlossberg appeared to mock Kennedy’s spasmodic dysphonia – a neurological disorder that makes it difficult for him to speak, according to the Daily Beast.

He deleted his social media afterward, as he received flack for that and for falsely accusing renowned lawyer Alan Dershowitz of killing his own wife.

But Schlossberg’s social media hiatus only lasted about a month, after which he posted an unhinged video in which he made kissy faces at Hines and told her she should apologize for the recent death of an unvaccinated child with measles.   

‘Almost every single case of measles is in someone who’s not vaccinated,’ Schlossberg says in the video, in which he deliberately misspelled the actress’s name as ‘Heins’ and at one point ‘Sheryl.’ 

‘I think you’re the perfect person to say sorry,’ he added.

More recently, Schlossberg challenged the Secretary of Health and Human Services to a fight. 

‘Me and you, one-on-one, locked in a room, we hash this out. Nobody comes out until one of us has autism,’ he continued. ‘What do you say?’

The challenge appeared to be mocking Kennedy for his remarks suggesting ‘toxins’ or ultrasound scans could be driving a ‘tsunami’ of autism diagnoses across the US.

On social media, Schlossberg has been a vocal critic of his cousin, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and the Trump administration

He even once hit out at RFK Jr’s wife, Cheryl Hines, telling her she should apologize for the recent death of an unvaccinated child with measles

He made kissy faces at Hines in the unhinged video

His cousin is not the only figure who he has lashed out on social media, however.

Schlossberg also appeared to have flirted with the second lady when he uploaded a photo of Vice President JD Vance and Usha holding their infant daughter, and repeatedly claimed Megyn Kelly is a man over the conservative pundit’s support of banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. 

But amid these controversies, Schlossberg -who graduated from Yale and has masters and law degrees from Harvard – has been working in the political sphere.

He regularly helped his mother with her duties at the Kennedy Foundation and spent time with her during her diplomatic trips to Japan and Australia, and also spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Schlossberg further had stints in the State Department and in Congress and dabbled in political journalism during the 2024 presidential election as a correspondent for Vogue.

He has also been appointed to the America 250 Commission by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. 

Based on his experiences, Schlossberg said he now wants to help Democrats get back the majority in the House of Representatives – arguing the party needs more voices to push back against the Trump administration.

‘When I close my eyes and I think of what a Democrat is, it’s someone who’s challenging the status quo, who represents counterculture, artists, innovators,’ he told the Times.

‘We lost touch with that, I think, because we were scared of what we were seeing from the other side and didn’t quite know how to react to it.’

Schlossberg said he sees his grandfather as a role model. The former president is pictured with his wife, Jackie Onassis, JFK Jr and Caroline in 1962

The Kennedy heir went on to say that he sees his grandfather and Uncle Ted Kennedy, the former president’s brother who served as a senator for nearly 50 years, as role models.

‘I’m certainly proud of my family’s legacy in public service,’ the 32-year-old said. 

‘President Kennedy inspires me. My Uncle Teddy fought for health care, immigration, labor – which are still the issues of our time.’

He said he sees fellow Democrat Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City as a good omen for his campaign – having endorsed the Democratic Socialist early on and defending him against allegations of antisemitism. 

But establishment Democrats in New York City are not so sure.

When asked about Schlossberg succeeding him in Congress, Nadler said last month ‘there’s nothing particularly good or bad about a Kennedy holding my seat. 

‘But the Kennedy, unlike Schlossberg, should be somebody with a record of public service, a record of public accomplishment, and he doesn’t have one.’ 

State Assemblyman Alex Bores, who is also running to take over Nadler’s seat, also argued that the state is not ready for another Kennedy. 

‘When it comes to Jack, New Yorkers just voted to end one political dynasty with a storied past and troubled present,’ he said, referring to Cuomo’s defeat.

‘We’ll see how they feel about another.’  

The election is scheduled for June 2026.