Political Prince Jack Schlossberg is running for congress – leaving even Democrats furious and questioning, “Does he even know what he stands for?”
The only grandson of President John F. Kennedy is wading into a crowded primary to run for New York’s 12th district — a power-filled area encompassing the United Nations, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park and Chelsea.
He lives in the latter neighborhood in a one-bed apartment and sleeps on two massage tables with his childhood, shark-patterned bed sheets.
But even though the 32-year-old announced his bid to replace the seat which will be left by retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler next year in a glossy New York Times interview, few spoke on record to support him. The story featured only Gerry Pefanis, a doorman in the Upper East Side building where he grew up, and ex-TV host David Letterman.
We still don’t know much about the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy, beyond a string of bizarre social media videos – including one claiming he was having a child with Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance.
He also has a history of crude and bizarre rants ranging from mocking his cousin RFK Jr.’s spasmodic dysphonia condition to posting a recipe calling for “Jew blood.”
“Does Jack know who he is and what he stands for?” a close family friend asked.
“He has never had a real job. If he thinks he can make a difference and do some good for New York, that’s great…but given his past social media commentary, I’m not sure what message he sends to voters who pay attention to politics…I don’t see a platform there.”
One high-profile Democrat campaigner is more blunt: “I think he’s crazy,” they said, insisting the party wants to focus on more “worthy” candidates with experience like Micah Lasher and Erik Bottcher. “
Schlossberg said he wants to fight President Trump and fight cuts to health care, education and child care, adding, “It’s a constitutional crisis with one dangerous man in control of all three branches of government. He’s stripping citizens of their civil rights and silencing his critics.”
However, “The Democrats don’t want him,” said the campaigner, “We don’t need more distractions. His mother is widely respected, she has a real body of work behind her, what has Jack done? This is his own folly.”
A source close to Schlossberg insisted his mother, Caroline Kennedy, a former US ambassador, and his father, artist Edwin Schlossberg, are both “very supportive” of their son’s political aspirations.
Caroline, 67 — daughter of JFK and Jackie Kennedy — told the Times of her son’s divisive social media presence, “I’m impressed that he’s thought through the different ways of doing that and is willing to take the consequences when he takes a risk that people find offensive.” He has more than 776,000 followers on Instagram and more than 839,000 TikTok followers.
Schlossberg was a pupil at Collegiate School, an all-boys high school on the Upper West Side, before going to Yale and then Harvard Law and Business School, where he passed the bar first time, unlike his uncle, the late JFK Jr., who famously took the exam three times.
“Jack’s social life is uniquely pensive,” said a friend of Schlossberg, “He loves to people watch, grab coffee very early in the morning and walk around his neighborhood.
“I paddle, I do ballet class. I don’t really party. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke,” Schlossberg told The Times.
The profile also noted of her subject “His hair has grown out from a buzz-cut he got in solidarity with someone close to him who is sick.”
Multiple sources told The Post it was in support of a family member. A rep for Schlossberg did not respond to a request for comment.
The Kennedys are, of course, a huge clan, but Schlossberg is closest to both his sisters, Rose, 37, an artist and filmmaker, who married her wife Rory McAuliffe in 2022, and Tatiana, 35, an environmental journalist who has one young son with her husband, George Moran.
As for his own personal life, “People often wonder,” he said. “I am very straight,” adding that “one day” he would like to get married and have kids.
Schlossberg has been linked with Sky Ting yoga studio founder Krissy Jones and model Dayna Frazehas.
Although Schlossberg has worked on projects with his mom and he spoke at the 2024 Democratic convention in Chicago, he has not held a job, save for a brief stint covering last year’s election for Vogue.
Sources said he was hired by Chloe Malle, recently named the new editor of the fashion bible, and paid $250 per article, like every other contributor.
“It was a great idea by Chloe,” said a Vogue insider, who said the magazine’s audience “really responded” to Schlossberg.
“But Jack made it sound like something had transpired had made him want to leave.”
Whatever happened, there seemed to be no love lost between Schlossberg and former Vogue boss Anna Wintour, despite him lashing out at this year’s Met Gala, which she organizes.
“This year, with so much happening around the world and at home, I cannot in good conscience go to the Met Gala.
“FASHION IS POLITICAL — So then why is VOGUE SO QUIET ?! VOGUE shouldn’t be so scared of my boycott,” Schlossberg then wrote on X.
“Jack was never actually invited to the Met Gala!” said a Vogue insider, “I have no idea what this was all about.”
Like his grandfather, Schlossberg has suffered crippling back pain and underwent two hip procedures. He now does regular Pilates with Sharyl M. Curry, who “gave me my life back,” he has said.
“His social life is also rooted around his exercising”, the friend added, “He could not walk for a year while studying for the bar exam. Prior to that he was in pain for four years.
“He can only really swim, ballet, some biking but can’t sit for long,” said the friend.
When reports surfaced in September that Schlossberg might run for his seat, outgoing rep. Nadler blasted the idea, saying his successor should be someone “with a record of public service, a record of public accomplishment — and he doesn’t have one.”
Much has been made of the fact that Schlossberg appeared to be trading in on his uncle JFK Jr’s ‘man of the people’ persona, down to posing for his campaign with his bike, and a chain belt wrapped around his waist, just like his uncle.
“When I saw the pictures of Jack, I was steaming,” said the family friend, “He even had the pant leg up, the cap and the bike chain around his waist… that would drive people crazy with John. All of a sudden Jack is channeling him.”
JFK Jr. died in a tragic plane crash aged 32 in July 1999 aged 32 alongside his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and his sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette.
And Jack certainly shares some traits with his uncle; JFK Jr. liked to kayak on the Hudson, while Jack prefers paddleboarding. They both attended law school, although neither went on to practice law significantly.
However, as a Kennedy family friend said, “By 32, John was on the board of many charities and starting his own, ‘Reaching Up’, which aimed to support frontline workers and their education.
“By 34 he was extremely active in the Robin Hood foundation, he worked at the DA’s office and was a champion of engaging people in the politics process. He had also started ‘George’ magazine and had a staff of 40 people, spending 12 hours a day in his office working on his magazine.
“I think John’s passing had some effect on there not being a North Star anymore in the family. He was the natural heir to the throne… when he passed at just 38… there was nobody to pick up the mantle.”
Of Schlossberg’s political bid, the friend said, “I got a text to donate, but donate for what? What has he done that makes me want to give my money to him?
The Schlossberg pal, meanwhile, fears for his friend. “Overall, his biggest weakness in life is that Jack Schlossberg is too kind. Politics it’s a dirty game. Jack will never play dirty in life. He loves people. Even opponents.”
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