Jack Schlossberg wants people to know that his controversial online presence has always been more deliberate than it appears.
During the first episode of MSNBC’s new original podcast The Blueprint with Jen Psaki, the outspoken grandson of John F. Kennedy addressed his inflammatory online presence, telling the former White House press secretary that his intention is to get people talking.
In a clip from their conversation, shared by PEOPLE below, Schlossberg claims he has harnessed social media to shed light on political issues that are important to him.
“I think that the internet is a place where it’s difficult to break through, and it’s difficult to break through especially if you’re not saying something that’s controversial, or at least, somehow unexpected,” the liberal activist said. “And I think that I see that Democrats play that game not as well as we could.”
He added, “And I think that, that’s kind of the game that the other side’s been playing really well, which is flipping people out — and getting a reaction is almost half the battle.”
The interview was conducted prior to Schlossberg deactivating his social media accounts on Feb. 6.
“I’m sorry to everyone I hurt,” he wrote. “I was wrong. I’m deleting all my social media. Forever. It’s been fun. Thanks anyways everyone.”
Before deactivating, Schlossberg sparked controversy when he asked whether his grandma, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, was “hotter” than second lady Usha Vance. Naturally, internet users were confused by the prompt.
“Creepy, weird. Why would I say something like that?” Schlossberg told Psaki. “Well that’s why I did it. The internet is a place to be weird.”
“I use my judgment to make posts that I think are funny or silly but have a purpose, either to make you think this guy’s crazy. ‘Why is he talking about his own family that way?’ ” he continued. “But to be honest, then you get all these retweets, quotes, and everybody flips out about it.”
Jack Schlossberg on the ‘Today’ show in 2022.
Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty
Schlossberg claims his use of social media has been all about taking risks — like the time he brazenly lied and claimed he was Justin Baldoni’s lawyer amid the actor’s ongoing legal battle with Blake Lively.
Why did he do it? Because the conflict between the two high-profile celebrities was gaining more traction than the transition of power in the United States government.
Schlossberg found a way to briefly shift the narrative to politics by throwing his name into the pop culture conversation and getting more exposure to his page, which had plenty of other, more serious political posts.
“People will print and believe anything,” he said, adding, “I know no one’s going to remember this in a week.”
On one hand it’s “hilarious,” Schlossberg said, but it’s also a warning of how easily misinformation takes off, especially on the internet. His post about being Baldoni’s lawyer could easily have been disproven, he said, but many believed it just because he posted it.
“If we’re too scared to say something like that, then what happens when something that really matters happens?” Schlossberg said. “You have to be willing to take risks and speak your mind and live with the consequences, and be okay with not everybody not understanding.”
Jack Schlossberg speaks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Bill Clark/getty
During the conversation, Schlossberg also revealed that a series of posts about his heartbreak in the fall of 2024 were total fiction.
“I couldn’t stop laughing when I recorded that video. I thought it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever done, because I would never, I would never,” he said. “If I was actually going through a breakup, I don’t think I would want anyone to know how sad I was.”
Like many others in Schlossberg’s orbit, Psaki said she texted him to share words of comfort when she saw — and believed — his posts about getting dumped.
“I hate that I got you, Jen,” responded Schlossberg, who admitted that he’s “manipulating” his viewers a bit.
“I love my country, I love politics. I really care what happens. And I’ve been — like everybody, like you — paying attention to what’s happening in our country and in our politics and our media. And I’m developing instincts … as this changes and we get more used to misinformation,” he said, noting that he thinks it’s time for Democrats to find “different strategies to break through.”
“I’ve watched the other side people say that, like, ‘You’re saying crazy stuff. People aren’t gonna take you seriously. You’re— Why would you air out your stuff in broad daylight?’ ” he added. “I’m like, ‘Are you not looking at what’s going on on the other side?’ Like, apparently nobody cares. And that’s kind of the point that I’m trying to make.”
Jack Schlossberg with his mom, Caroline Kennedy, on Sept. 19, 2023.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
After recording the interview with Psaki, Schlossberg made several erratic political posts on Instagram, many of which were related to his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for health secretary and directly targeted several of his own family members for not also speaking out against the anti-vaccine activist.
“This is for the rest of my cousins: I’m asking the media to ask my cousins — I have a lot of ’em — what they think and why they don’t say anything, and what they know about Bobby Kennedy and why they aren’t talking and all the stories they have,” Schlossberg said in one video. “The guy’s about to be in charge of public health for the United States of America.”
“How about you ask my cousins some real questions? How come I’m the only one who’s talking out? Wake up,” he continued. “This is not a f—— drill. These guys are taking over. If they don’t want to talk, then you know what side they’re on.”
MSNBC’s new original podcast, The Blueprint with Jen Psaki, launched on Monday, Feb. 10. Listeners can find new episodes weekly wherever they get their podcasts.
