Whether he’s riding his RipStik or speaking at the Democratic National Convention, former President John F. Kennedy’s sole grandson Jack Schlossberg is writing his own political playbook with a comedic twist.
Schlossberg became Vogue’s political correspondent in July — just in time for the 2024 presidential election. He makes content for Vogue’s TikTok account and writes opinion articles for the website.
In a July 10 Vogue article, Schlossberg said he uses TikTok as an outlet to be a “silly goose” while also trying “to get the truth out there” — modeling after “great leaders” such as his grandfather, making politics fun and positive for younger audiences.
While Schlossberg does not use the Kennedy name on paper, he still wears it. He radiates the charisma of his grandfather with a strong physical resemblance to his uncle John F. Kennedy Jr.
He evidently inherited the political gene, which manifests in his engaging and oftentimes comedic selfie-style social media videos about current events, especially key facts about the current presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
In the past few months, Schlossberg has risen to social media stardom, amassing over 830,000 followers on his personal TikTok and Instagram accounts combined. Schlossberg also creates concise yet informative videos, coined “Jack Reacts,” for Vogue’s TikTok account, through which he offers viewers a peek into what they may have missed in politics in a given week.
For instance, one video documents Schlossberg sharing his opinion on who won the presidential debate, claiming that Harris took the prize. Another recent video provides quick facts about Tim Walz, Harris’s running mate, which he posted around the time Harris announced her vice-presidential choice.
However, some videos on his personal accounts are more humorous.
His content tends to hinge on strong partisanship for the left, and in many videos he makes comedic bits about Trump and his running mate JD Vance. While videos from his personal content tend to be more biased and informal than those on Vogue’s page, he adopts the same casual yet academic energy.
In discussing his family’s political legacy, he told Vogue on July 10 that he “[wants] to contribute in [his] own way” in addition to making “a positive impact today.” That influence is helping to galvanize young voters with current political matters, although it’s at times masked by his comedic and goofy charm. In fact, by charming many young people with his enthusiasm through a screen, Schlossberg is reaching a key demographic in the election.
TikTok is becoming an increasingly popular platform for young people to get their news. Nearly four in 10 people spanning ages 18-29 said they use the app regularly, according to a Pew Research Center study from July 15. In addition, 48% of TikTok users in this same age group use the app to keep up with politics or political issues, according to a separate Pew Research Center study from March 18.
Young voters age 18-32 are a critical age group in elections. Schlossberg’s mission to make a positive impact “today” begins with his ability to make politics more digestible and popular among young people who may have the ability to sway the upcoming election.
In the past month, Schlossberg visited the University of Pennsylvania campus to urge voting among students living in the battleground state. He even encouraged students to bring their friends to the polls, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Schlossberg’s videos – some educational, some opinionated – help excite and inform young voters about their civic duties in a way that typical political news coverage may not. In doing so, he is perhaps giving some young people the foundation to make political decisions and to ultimately cast their ballot.
“You can make a difference because you have a voice,” Schlossberg said in Vogue’s TikTok video on June 28.
Email: [email protected]
X: @karinaaeidd
Related Stories:
—- Medill announces new program for students to cover Illinois politics
—- Eric Patashnik talks politics in a partisan world, promotes book at American Politics Workshop
—- Grassroots civic groups make national politics local
