JFK's Grandson Eyes Nadler's Congressional Seat

John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg—a frequent critic of the Trump administration, including his own cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—is eyeing a congressional run in Manhattan, USA Today reports. Schlossberg announced Sunday that he has officially set up an exploratory committee to consider a run for Congress in New York's 12th District—currently represented by Rep. Jerry Nadler, who just announced he will not seek reelection. Schlossberg, 32, signaled his intentions on social media after previously calling a potential campaign "certainly a possibility" in comments to the New York Times.

Schlossberg has positioned himself in open opposition to his cousin, the health and human services secretary. He's urged NYC residents to "SAY NO TO RFK LOSER" until public health policies he says the city relies on are reinstated, and has also argued that New York should consider withholding federal tax revenue in protest: "NY subsidizes the federal government—blue states pay for everything. and happily! But not anymore," he wrote, suggesting New Yorkers should be "paid back." Tensions between the Kennedy relatives have become public as Schlossberg and other family members have called for RFK Jr. to resign, criticizing his stance on vaccines and recent firings at the CDC. During his cousin's recent Senate hearing, Schlossberg labeled RFK Jr. a "THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH and AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP."

Schlossberg is a writer whose political experience includes a stint as a Vogue political correspondent and cultivating a presence on social media as a Democratic voice, but some, including Nadler himself, appear skeptical about his prospects. Non-profit CEO Liam Elkind and state assemblyman Micah Lasher have also announced runs for the seat, and Nadler specifically mentioned Lasher, his former aide, when he recently suggested there are more serious contenders for the seat than Schlossberg. Others rumored to be considering running include former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, state assemblymen Alex Bores and Tony Simone, city councilman Erik Bottcher, and actress and former gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon, Axios reports. (Cheryl Hines recently reacted to Schlossberg's criticism of her husband.)