Jack Schlossberg believes former President Donald Trump’s “obsession” with the Kennedy family is what led him to appoint Schlossberg’s cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to his presidential Cabinet.
During an appearance on The Weekend on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Schlossberg — the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy — discussed his thoughts on Trump’s ongoing focus on the Kennedy legacy.
Speaking with host Jackie Alemany, 32-year-old Schlossberg compared RFK Jr., 71, to a “rabid” animal that the president has “caged.”
Alemany noted several past decisions by Trump that touched the Kennedy legacy — including releasing the remaining “JFK files,” changes to the Kennedy Center, redesigning the Air Force One aesthetic away from the iconic “Jackie Kennedy” style, reshaping the Rose Garden from its Kennedy-era layout, and removing the nearby Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
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She asked Schlossberg — now running for Congress after launching his campaign in New York City — whether Trump’s focus intensifies his motivation to seek office.
“My grandfather’s legacy of service means a lot to me,” Schlossberg said. “He was the youngest person ever elected president. He sent a man to the moon. His White House drafted the Civil Rights Act. And I’m protective over that.”
He emphasized that this legacy extends far beyond his own family.
“It’s generations of Americans and New Yorkers who fought and sacrificed to build this country,” he said, accusing Trump, 79, of “dismantling that legacy.”
Schlossberg argued that Trump’s fixation explains why he placed his cousin in a prominent position — secretary of health and human services — in his administration.
“He is so obsessed with the Kennedys and the Kennedy name and the Kennedy brand that he caged one and put it in his Cabinet — a rabid dog in his Cabinet,” Schlossberg said. He claimed RFK Jr. is being used to “bark, spread lies and spread misinformation.”
Schlossberg, the first in his family to publicly oppose RFK Jr.’s political actions, called him “dangerous,” citing both his influential role and the responsibility he holds over national health policy.
“No one can change what JFK, my grandparents, my mom, my uncle [John F. Kennedy Jr.] stood for,” he said. “Nobody is that powerful.” Still, he warned that RFK Jr. is “a dangerous person who is making life-and-death decisions.”
He criticized RFK Jr.’s record at the Department of Health and Human Services — pointing to job cuts, reductions in research, amplified anti-vaccine activism, and rising measles cases.
Schlossberg also accused RFK Jr. of prioritizing promotion and spectacle over public well-being: “When he’s not making infomercials for Steak ‘n Shake and Coca-Cola, he’s spreading misinformation and lies that are leading to deaths around the country.”
Asked whether RFK Jr. is financially benefiting from his role, Schlossberg replied: “I don’t know who’s paying him, but what he’s saying isn’t making anybody healthier or safer. The American people should know when he barks, who’s actually talking.”
Schlossberg’s criticism predates RFK Jr.’s role in the Trump administration. In 2023, he posted a video responding to a speech in which RFK Jr. shared conspiracy theories related to vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Schlossberg publicly supported Joe Biden, as he had years earlier in a recorded message alongside his mother, Caroline Kennedy.
Following Rep. Jerry Nadler’s announcement of retirement, Schlossberg confirmed on Tuesday, Nov. 11, that he is entering the race for Nadler’s New York seat in Congress, saying he hopes to help restore a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.
