CHICAGO—John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, compared Kamala Harris to his late grandfather in a brief speech before the Democratic National Convention Tuesday evening.
“President John F. Kennedy is my grandfather, and he’s my hero,” Schlossberg said. “JFK was the youngest person ever elected president and the first Catholic. He sent a man to the moon, fought for civil rights, and navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis peacefully. Most of all, he inspired a new generation to ask what they could do for our country.”
Schlossberg then drew a parallel to the current Democratic nominee.
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“Tonight, JFK’s call to action is now ours to answer, because once again, the torch has been passed to a new generation, to a leader who shares my grandfather's energy, vision, and optimism for our future,” he continued. “That leader is Vice President Kamala Harris.”
“Like President Kennedy, Vice President Harris has dedicated her life to public service,” the 31-year old explained. “She believes in America like my grandfather did—that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images“As president, she will fight for working families,” he said. “She will expand investments in clean energy so that my generation will have clean air and good jobs. She will defend our freedoms. The freedom for women anywhere in America to make their own health care choices. The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to vote easily and without fear.”
“The choice is ours to make. History is watching to see what we will do. Now let’s elect Kamala Harris the next president of the United States.”
Given his famous family, the appearance may fuel speculation about Schlossberg’s own political future. Back in 2020, that’s exactly what happened when Schlossberg spoke alongside his mom, Caroline Kennedy, at the party’s virtual convention. This year, he had a live, in-person spot in the line-up all to himself. He spoke right after former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson.
Schlossberg showed his chiseled face around the convention hall Monday night, with multiple reporters snapping pictures of him on the arena floor.
Political heavyweights like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got in on the action, with the latter appearing in a photo that had echoes of one she took with his grandfather half a century before.
The Kennedy heir has been openly critical of his cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for trumpeting unfounded and unorthodox proposals in his long-shot bid for the White House.
For now, Schlossberg is working in the public sector. He recently got a new gig at Vogue, where he was named a political correspondent last month. But while he’s being paid about as well as the average reporter—reportedly just $250 per article—he’s gotten unusual leeway in making his political views public.
In a recent Instagram post, he referred to President Joe Biden as his “hero.” In another, he shared that he was a New York DNC delegate voting for Kamala Harris.
He could also be seen along the sidelines of Harris and Tim Walz’s kickoff rally in Philadelphia earlier this month, where he stood among campaign officials and fans—not the press.
Still, he’s lasted longer at Vogue than his grandmother, Jackie. She allegedly quit her Vogue gig on day one because the magazine was staffed by so many women she feared she may not meet a husband there.
