Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, openly criticized CNN’s coverage of newly publicized assassination files in a social media post on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. The 32-year-old expressed dissatisfaction with the network’s handling of the 80,000 documents about JFK’s 1963 assassination, recently released by the Trump administration.
In a video shared on X, Schlossberg appeared visibly upset, recording himself with CNN playing in the background. He named CNN anchors, questioning their editorial choices.
“You’re better than this. This is so [expletive] stupid. There’s so much actual news going on. Why are you covering this,” Schlossberg said in the video. “At least report that something happened. I love you, Harry Enten, you’re really smart. Why are you guys covering this? I love you, Erin Burnett, you’re really smart, why are you covering this?”
Schlossberg, son of former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and a political correspondent for Vogue, followed his initial post with several provocative comments. In one, he wrote in all capital letters, “WHAT THE JFK FILES SAY ABOUT ME IS NOT TRUE,” adding, “I’M STRAIGHT.”
The documents, totaling approximately 63,400 pages, were published on the National Archives website following President Trump’s executive order. This release is part of a broader initiative to declassify records related to the assassinations of President Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Schlossberg claimed the Trump administration did not inform the Kennedy family before releasing the documents. “No — THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DID NOT GIVE ANYONE IN PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S FAMILY ‘A HEADS UP’ ABOUT THE RELEASE,” he wrote on X. “A total surprise, and not a shocker!! But @RobertKennedyJr definitely knew.”
Schlossberg has a strained relationship with his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who currently serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration. Schlossberg has criticized RFK Jr. for spreading conspiracy theories about JFK’s assassination and urged podcast host Joe Rogan to challenge his cousin on these claims.
Schlossberg’s criticism also extended to Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) when the senator commented on the file release. Responding directly to Lee, Schlossberg wrote: “You really care about JFK’s legacy? You’re dismantling it. Go ask Bobby for a retweet.”
This is not Schlossberg’s first opposition to the declassification efforts. Last month, when the Trump administration announced the upcoming release of the files, he wrote on X that declassification uses his late grandfather as a political prop when he can’t defend himself.
The newly released documents are part of the National Archives’ collection of over six million pages of records related to the Kennedy assassination. According to the National Archives, about 2,200 files were included in this latest release. The majority of the collection had been previously available to the public.
Experts who have started examining the files note that while they offer more insight into U.S. government activities during the Cold War era, they do not contain any “smoking gun” revelations that would significantly change the existing narrative about Lee Harvey Oswald’s role as the lone gunman responsible for Kennedy’s assassination.
“There’s nothing heroic about it,” Schlossberg stated regarding the declassification efforts, expressing his belief that using his grandfather’s assassination for political motives was inappropriate.
The release of these records fulfills a requirement established by the 1992 President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which mandated that all related documents be released after 25 years, with exceptions for national security concerns. Previous administrations had certified that continued withholding was necessary, but President Trump determined that keeping the records classified was “no longer in the public interest and is long overdue.”
While some files remain under seal due to court orders or tax return privacy laws, the National Archives has partnered with federal agencies to make these records available online and at the National Archives facility in College Park, Maryland. The release represents a significant step in the ongoing effort to provide transparency regarding one of the most traumatic events in American history.
