On Tuesday night, Jack Schlossberg took the podium at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to address both his fellow delegates and the nation, urging Americans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris this November. Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson, followed in the footsteps of his mother, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, and great-uncle, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, who have honored the late President Kennedy on the DNC stage in years past.
Schlossberg himself is no stranger to the DNC; 2024’s iteration marks the fifth he has attended, and in 2020 he delivered a (virtual) joint address with his mother. Yet until this year he had never before served as a delegate (representing the state of New York), and Tuesday marked his first time addressing the convention alone.
Here, read the full text of Jack Schlossberg’s speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Hi, I’m Jack Schlossberg.
President John F. Kennedy is my grandfather, and he’s my hero. JFK was the youngest person ever elected president, and the first Catholic. He sent a man to the moon, fought for civil rights, and navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis peacefully.Most of all, he inspired a new generation to ask what they could do for our country.
Tonight, JFK’s call to action is ours to answer, because once again the torch has been passed to a new generation—to a leader who shares my grandfather’s energy, vision, and optimism for America. That leader is Vice President Kamala Harris.
Like President Kennedy, Vice President Harris has dedicated her life to public service. She believes in America like my grandfather did — that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. As president she will fight for working families. She will expand investments in clean energy so that my generation will have clean air and good jobs. She will defend our freedoms: the freedom for women, anywhere in America, to make their own healthcare choices. The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to vote easily and without fear. The choice is ours to make, and history is watching to see what we will do. Now, let’s elect Kamala Harris the next president of the United States.