Overview

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on August 12 that he chose Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of John F. Kennedy, to head the congressionally created America 250 Commission.
• Schumer framed the pick as a countermeasure to President Trump’s own Salute to America 250 Task Force, warning that Trump will try to monopolize next year’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
• The White House has maintained a separate task force and Trump appointee Ariel Abergel reportedly asked four Republican commissioners to resign in an effort to realign the bipartisan panel.
• Schlossberg pledged to push back against Trump’s influence and has previously criticized the administration and his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., notably over recent JFK assassination file declassifications.
• His history of provocative social media posts, including remarks about Megyn Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has fueled debate over his suitability for a leadership role.