Jack Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of President John F. Kennedy, has launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump, accusing him of using the White House to enrich himself while ordinary Americans struggle with rising costs.
The Democratic congressional hopeful appeared on the MeidasTouch podcast this week, where he accused Trump of exploiting his office for personal gain. A January analysis by The New York Times found that Trump’s family wealth has increased by approximately $1.4 billion since he returned to the White House in 2025—much of it from cryptocurrency ventures and business deals that critics say blur the line between public service and private profit.
Schlossberg did not mince words. He pointed to Trump’s issuance of his own cryptocurrency, his son’s positions on boards of publicly traded companies, and even attempts to trademark America’s 250th birthday celebration. “It’s a slap in the face with one hand, and he’s picking our pockets with the other,” he told the podcast.
The Kennedy heir framed his criticism around what he called a three-part crisis facing America: cost, corruption, and constitutional emergencies under Trump’s leadership. He warned that the president’s aggressive dealmaking creates “a new pressure point on an American President that we’ve not previously seen”—one that raises questions about whether decisions benefit the country or the commander-in-chief’s bank account.
Schlossberg, who announced his campaign last November, is running to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th District. The seat covers some of Manhattan’s most iconic neighborhoods—the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Chelsea, and ****’s Kitchen—and ranks among the most Democratic in the nation.
But the political commentator and Harvard Law graduate has reserved some of his sharpest attacks for a member of his own family. During an MSNBC interview announcing his campaign, Schlossberg called his cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a “rabid dog” in Trump’s cabinet. He accused Trump of being “obsessed with the Kennedys and the Kennedy brand” and criticized RFK Jr. for spreading health misinformation while holding life-and-death power over American healthcare policy.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt swatted away the attacks. “I don’t even think such ridiculous comments are worth responding to,” she told reporters, before praising Kennedy’s work on healthcare reform and defending the administration’s integrity.
The intra-family warfare underscores deep divisions within America’s most storied political dynasty. RFK Jr. abandoned his own presidential campaign in August 2024 to endorse Trump, a move his siblings called a “betrayal” of family values. The Senate confirmed him as HHS secretary in February 2025 on a 52-48 vote, with Senator Mitch McConnell the only Republican to vote no.
Schlossberg enters a crowded Democratic primary that includes George Conway, the Trump critic and ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway, along with state Assembly members Micah Lasher and Alex Bores. Early polling shows Schlossberg with about 25 percent support—a lead driven largely by name recognition, with a third of voters still undecided ahead of the June primary.
The only grandson of JFK has positioned his campaign as a fight to prevent democratic backsliding. He called the 2026 midterms “the last chance to stop Trump” and warned voters that the president might attempt unprecedented power grabs—including seeking a third term—if Democrats fail to win control of the House.
JFK’s grandson has built a following as a political commentator and social media provocateur, with nearly two million followers across platforms. His outspoken criticism of both Trump and his own cousin has made him a polarizing figure—beloved by progressives who see him as a fighter, dismissed by critics who question whether viral posts translate to governing experience.
Schlossberg emphasized that Americans need to recognize Trump’s pattern of making promises while pursuing personal enrichment. He argued that Trump’s policies benefit the president financially while harming ordinary citizens through inflation and economic instability—”We’re getting screwed, and he’s getting rich.”
President Trump has not responded to Schlossberg’s allegations. The administration has consistently maintained that all business dealings comply with ethics requirements and that accusations of impropriety are politically motivated attacks.
As the race for Congress intensifies, Schlossberg’s willingness to attack both the sitting president and members of his own famous family signals an aggressive campaign strategy. In one of Manhattan’s most politically engaged districts, the Kennedy scion is betting that fiery rhetoric and family legacy can carry him to Washington.
