Jack Schlossberg, a provocative online commentator and grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, announced late Tuesday that he’s running for a U.S. House seat in New York.
In a campaign video posted to Instagram, Schlossberg condemned the “cost of living crisis,” “constitutional crisis” and “corruption crisis” posed by President Donald Trump’s administration, while stressing the importance of Democrats regaining House control.
“With control of Congress, there’s nothing we can’t do,” the 32-year-old said. “Without it, we’re helpless to a third term.”
The Kennedy scion will be running for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s seat in New York’s 12th Congressional District and joins a crowded field of candidates vying for the role.
Schlossberg said the 12th District, which includes Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side and midtown, “should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy and drive of this district and translate that into political power in Washington.”
Schlossberg, a Yale graduate, is prominent on Instagram and TikTok, where he has been a frequent critic of his cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
He branded his relative an “antisemite” and a “lying sack of shit” as Kennedy appeared at his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year.
Schlossberg, who goes by “jackuno” on social media, has repeatedly laid into Trump and his associates, and in a skit mocked first lady Melania Trump by donning a cheap-looking wig and imitating her Slovenian accent.
This month, he blasted actor Julia Fox for “glorifying political violence” after she dressed up as a bloody Jackie Kennedy, his grandmother, for Halloween.
In an MSNBC interview published following his announcement, Schlossberg suggested the Democratic Party should elect candidates “who know how to communicate.”
“New media is completely polluted and the air is dirty,” Schlossberg said. “I figured out a way to breathe in that environment, and we need to elect candidates who understand how to do that, and I think that’s what makes me an effective representative.”
Despite burnishing his online credentials, Schlossberg’s first media hit following his official launch was a traditional New York Times interview with Maureen Dowd, which featured a stylized 1960s-looking video of Schlossberg padding around the city.
“I’m not for everybody,” he noted to Dowd in reference to his posts.
Nadler, 78, was first elected to Congress in 1992. In September, announcing his decision not to run again, Nadler indicated it was time to pass the torch to a new generation.
“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Nadler told The New York Times.