Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, is making fun of his cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent candidate for president, as the well-known family deals with political disagreement.
In a series of videos posted to Instagram, which are intended to be humorous and showcase Schlossberg’s backing for President Biden, he pretends to be voters from various regions of the country.
He called his cousin “a prick” and said voters would be wasting their vote this autumn because Kennedy supports former President Trump. In the first video, Schlossberg acted as a Massachusetts man named Jimmy.
“Many people, many people talking about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Schlossberg said. “You know, I’m a fan of his father. And you know his uncle? Rest in peace, I remember where I was the day he was killed, I mean it was a tragic day, the entire country wept. But listen, that guy, he’s a prick. The new guy, the young guy, he’s a friggin’ prick.”
Schlossberg criticized Kennedy for being an independent third-party candidate who “goes way freakin’ back” with Trump. He went on to emphasize the economy, climate action, and civil rights under the Biden administration.
He told his followers that if they care about democracy and civil rights, “there is only one person to vote for, you understand?”
Impersonating a Long Island man named Anthony, Schlossberg criticized Kennedy for wanting to reduce the military budget when China and Russia and “everybody’s on our ass.”
In another video, posing as a Jewish man named Joshua, he questioned Kennedy’s promise to get rid of the Federal Reserve. He asked, “Who is going to protect my money?”
In another impersonation, of a southern man, Wade, who has three daughters, Schlossberg said he wouldn’t vote for Kennedy because he’s lying and “behavior matters” and the “example we set for our children matters.” Wade raises horses, Schlossberg said, and “you can always tell when a horse is being pumped full of testosterone, steroid doesn’t make the horse think any better.”
Schlossberg, the 31-year-old son of U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, has been against his cousin’s White House bid from the start. He endorsed Biden’s reelection campaign last year and praised him for “becoming the greatest progressive president we’ve ever had.”
At the same time, he criticized Kennedy for capitalizing on the Kennedy family name and gaining popularity points with voters. Schlossberg said Kennedy’s candidacy is “an embarrassment” and later stood by his words because, he said, “the issues in this election are way too important for any of us to be distracted.”
Schlossberg has received pushback for the videos, which were followed by beachside, tropical photos, but they serve as a reminder of the divide within the political family.
He posted videos responding to the critics through portrayals of Jimmy, Anthony, Joshua, and Wade.
The Hill has reached out to Kennedy’s campaign for comment on the videos.
