Jack Schlossberg, a Vogue political correspondent and the sole grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, visited Penn on Monday to urge students to register to vote and support Vice President Kamala Harris.
Schlossberg met a crowd of about 50 Penn students in front of the ARCH on Locust Walk, where he took selfies and recorded videos for his social media pages while urging students to vote for Harris, the Democratic nominee for the presidency. He rose to prominence in the past year for his political commentary and comedic videos on social media.
Schlossberg’s team got in touch with Penn Democrats to let them know about his arrival, College junior and Penn Dems President Ellie Goluboff-Schragger told The Daily Pennsylvanian. She said the club — which is planning to table on Locust Walk from Sept. 16-20 to register voters — presented the opportunity to meet him as a surprise in the Penn Dems GroupMe.
“I want Pennsylvanians to register to vote and then to actually vote,” Schlossberg said to the DP. “Get at least one friend — but maybe five friends — to also go with you to the polls, because you got to have friends.”
Students who attended the event praised Schlossberg for his ability to connect with members of Generation Z. He interacted with the members of the crowd and made a video for the Penn Dems TikTok while present.
“He has a really large influence, [so] like a lot of people, especially our generation, know of him,” College junior Mariah Wright-Moses said. “So I think seeing him here also enforces a lot of people to start registering to vote.”
Hadley Duvall, a reproductive freedom and abortion rights activist who spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, accompanied Schlossberg on his visit. Duvall, who hails from Kentucky, survived a pregnancy from sexual assault as a minor and came to prominence after appearing in a television campaign ad for now-Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. She was also in Philadelphia to stump for Harris on Sunday with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“It’s so important to vote all the way down the ballot, not just the presidential ticket. There are girls and women out here that are not safe,” Duvall told the DP. “If Donald Trump is to get into office, he will make sure none of us are safe.”
Schlossberg spoke at the 2024 DNC and endorsed Harris. In April, he, along with other members of the Kennedy family, endorsed President Joe Biden — then the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee — at a Philadelphia event, despite the independent campaign of their relative, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In August, Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the race and endorsed 1968 Wharton graduate and former President Donald Trump.
As a swing state worth 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is expected to play a critical role in this year’s presidential election cycle.
“Pennsylvania is the key to this election,” Schlossberg told the DP. “Young people are always the key to electing great leaders that we can be proud of.”
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