JFK’s Grandson Runs for Congress and Comes Clean on Sexuality

Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, addressed rumors of his sexuality and confronted his past as an internet troll after announcing a run for Congress.

After years of building a profile as a social media star, Schlossberg, 32, made the decision to throw his hat in the ring to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler in Manhattan’s 12th District next year, in a seat widely considered one of the “crown jewels” of New York politics.

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Heads were turned by Schlossberg’s announcement, who had made his name largely outside of the political sphere as a social media personality who would beef with Anna Wintour and Ryan Murphy, post skits of himself lip-syncing to Taylor Swift songs, and troll politicians to his 1.7 million followers.

“I’m not for everybody,” Schlossberg, 32, told The New York Times. “You know, my mom always said that. She said, ‘Jack, you’re a little different than the other guys.’ And she wasn’t wrong.”

When asked how he spends his free time, Schlossberg said, “I paddle, I do ballet class. I don’t really party. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke.”

TODAY -- Pictured: Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and son Jack Schlossberg on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 -- (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images) — Schlossberg is the son of ambassador Caroline Kennedy and artist/designer Edwin Schlossberg. NBC/Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty I

He also addressed rumors of his sexuality, telling the NYT, “People often wonder. I am very straight,” he told the publication, and added that he would “one day” like to get married and have kids.

The 32-year-old also admitted that he previously tried out the exclusive dating app Raya, but it didn’t stick because “I went on dates for a while and they didn’t really lead me to find love.”

Speaking of his confrontational posting style and offbeat sense of humor, Schlossberg said his attention-grabbing antics were a necessary response to the shifting attention economy of today’s social media ecosystem.

“The internet is a nuance destruction machine — there’s no room for qualifying anything, ever. You have to be very controversial to break through,” he said.

“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 explained.

“First of all, if somebody thinks I’m crazy because they saw one of my videos, that means that they saw one of the videos, which means that they got some information about the Trump administration and politics that they might not otherwise have gotten. Second of all, I trust people. I have confidence that people understand what’s going on.”

I’m thrilled to announce I’m appointing Jack Schlossberg @JBKSchlossberg to the America 250 Commission.
We need someone who will make sure America’s 250th birthday celebrates our nation and our values.
And I can’t think of a better person than Jack to take on that mission. pic.twitter.com/W6cAdJQRqH

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 12, 2025

It was this philosophy that saw Schlossberg launch his campaign on Tuesday with a direct swipe at Donald Trump, writing on Instagram that the country is facing a “corruption crisis.”

“Two hundred and fifty years after America was founded, and our country is at a turning point,” he announced in a video.

“It’s a crisis at every level: a cost-of-living crisis sponsored by the Big Beautiful Bill… It’s a corruption crisis. The president has made almost a billion dollars this year. He’s picking winners and losers from inside the Oval Office. It’s cronyism, not capitalism,” he added.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: Jack Schlossberg visits The Empire State Building on September 17, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust) — Schlossberg launched his congressional campaign on Tuesday with a swipe at Donald Trump. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Empire State Re

Schlossberg believes that the election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York bodes well for his campaign and his vision of the Democratic Party. But after having just summarily dumped Andrew Cuomo out of public life, questions linger over whether the public has the appetite for yet another waning political family.

“When it comes to Jack, New Yorkers just voted to end one political dynasty with a storied past and troubled present,” said assemblyman Alex Bores, who is also running for the vacant seat, told the NYT.

“We’ll see how they feel about another.”

Schlossberg is the son of former ambassador Caroline Kennedy and artist and designer Edwin Schlossberg. He previously served as a surrogate for then-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and as a delegate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and was also appointed to the America 250 Commission by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this year.

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