The Kennedy legacy: A Gen Z twist, family divisions, and an all-American love story

John F and Jackie Kennedy with their children. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In 1960, the four presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were the first to be aired on television.

The first debate – now arguably the most well-known – was viewed by a record 70 million people; at this point, most American households had televisions. The televised debates demonstrated the shift American politics was making alongside technology. Unlike radio or print, households screens allowed the public to view their presidential candidates – handsome, dapper Kennedy was able to play to the camera more successfully than Nixon in the first debate.

Ever since, this debate’s impact on Kennedy’s win has been contested. Surveys after the debate showed that audiences who watched it on television believed that Kennedy won, while those who listened on the radio felt that Nixon won. The increasingly popular technology of the time was central to public perceptions of the President, and gave him the ability to connect with his constituents. At the time, and ever since, technology has been integral to developing and maintaining the Kennedy legacy; as “the first completely modern media political family,” they have grown alongside technology, and employ it as a political platform.

JFK’s presidency and ongoing legacy

Kennedy served as a symbol of patriotism and political hope until his untimely death, exemplified by his famed quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.

He had the role of navigating his country through a highly tumultuous period in both international and domestic affairs, such as the Cold War and in regards to civil rights. Some of his actions on these issues were controversial: the Bay of Pigs, a planned U.S. invasion of Cuba to overthrow Fidel Castro in 1961, was a failure; at first, he also took a cautious, non-committal stance on civil rights in order to maintain approval with his voters that leaned conservative.

Nevertheless, his approval rating during his presidency averaged 70.1 per cent, the highest rating of any post-World War II president. Currently, his retrospective approval rate sits at a whopping 90 per cent. People approve of and respect Kennedy across party lines in the present day, as they did in his time, displaying his ability to unite the country.

While his high approval ratings are likely somewhat impacted by his short term on account of his assassination, they point to his overwhelming popularity not just in his day, but over 60 years after his election. Despite only serving just over 1,000 days as President, Kennedy left a monumental legacy which would follow his family for generations. It was ultimately his death via assassination that crowned him as “the martyred prince of American politics”.

The digital Kennedy

The rise of JFK’s only grandson, Jack Schlossberg, mirrors his grandfather’s ascent into presidency. Affectionately referred to as “the people’s princess,” he gained popularity in 2024, particularly after joining Vogue as a political correspondent, and has maintained a social media presence since, boasting hundreds of thousands of followers on both Instagram and TikTok. The “chronically online sensation” is typically unserious in his posting, and seems to have no problem sharing his streams of consciousness with the internet – political and otherwise. Schlossberg’s cultural relevancy was demonstrated with last year’s lookalike contest of him – 2024’s hot trend – positioning him among the pop culture greats who had  their own lookalike contests, like Timothee Chalamet and Harry Styles.

Schlossberg was highly politically active in the lead-up to America’s 2024 election. As Vogue put it, he was “memeing for democracy”. In a constantly changing political landscape in which politicians and parties are scrambling to engage young voters, now-32-year-old Schlossberg was able to make use of his comparative youth and penchant for memes to mobilise the youth of America. He consistently used his substantial platform to campaign for Joe Biden, and later Kamala Harris. Schlossberg’s political advocacy is not new. In 2012, he publicly supported a second term for Barack Obama. It seems that Schlossberg’s zany, untraditional style of political communication may be the future of mobilising young voters.

Schlossberg said that his grandfather’s administration was, “a blueprint for how progressivism can work in America”. The Kennedy family name is built on Democratic Party values, a legacy which Schlossberg seems eager to continue.

Jack Schlossberg taking a picture with Joe Biden in the White House, 2024. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The black sheep

One notable exception to the typical Kennedy progressivism, however, is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Though once a Democrat, he vehemently supported Donald Trump in last year’s election. He cited the Democrats’ transition into, “the party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, big money” as his reason for leaving.

Now US Health Secretary, RFK Jr has certainly asserted himself as a figure outside of his family name, though it’s unclear whether he feels that all press is good press. A prominent vaccine skeptic, he has been criticised on numerous occasions for putting citizens’ lives at risk and devaluing the role of science in the current Trump administration. The public has split opinions about the controversial figure.

Although he has a greater disapproval than approval rating – while 43 per cent of Americans strongly or somewhat disapprove of RFK’s job performance, 36 per cent strongly or somewhat approve. Unsurprisingly, divisions in opinion align with party preference, as 72 per cent of Democrats disapprove of RFK’s performance compared to 14 per cent of Republicans.

The Kennedys themselves take issue with RFK’s disruption of their legacy and departure from Kennedy-style politics, with his sister saying that his decision to back Trump was a, “betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear”.

Caroline Kennedy aligned the rest of her family against RFK’s medical beliefs, stating that they are, “united in terms of the public health sector…”.

Jack Schlossberg, too, has made his stance on his cousin clear. He asked the rest of his family to stand against the Health Secretary, and has publicly denounced him by making meme posts about him on many occasions. RFK shattered not just his family’s trust, but the Kennedy legacy of aligning with the Democrats, splintering family relations as well as impacting their reputation amongst the American people.

Robert F Kennedy and Donald Trump, 2025. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A screen-worthy love story

A testament to the seemingly everlasting legacy of the Kennedys, Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story, is currently in the works, a television series, detailing the revered, and ultimately tragic, relationship between John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The two were an it-couple of the 90s: JFK Jr an accomplished member of his family’s empire, and Carolyn Bessette a Calvin Klein publicist beloved for her “effortlessly cool,” seemingly irreproducible style and bright blonde hair.

Both JFK Jr and Bessette-Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1999, both only in their 30s. American Love Story is set to cover their romance as well as their lives, images, and pressures as individuals. The development of the show has been met with coverage and enthusiasm, including from Vogue who have been honouring “eternal style icon” Bessette-Kennedy.

It seems to be, to some extent, the tragedies that have plagued that family – the ‘Kennedy curse’ – that continues to draw people to them and keeps them so firmly in not just the American imagination, but the global one. The series, which will be released more than a quarter of a century after the lovers’ untimely death, speaks to the ongoing fascination with their family.

A new era of Kennedy obsession?

The Kennedys are “America’s royal family,” remaining one of the most well-known political families in America, if not the world. The typical Kennedy charm, intellect, and attractiveness has allowed them to retain their regality, both in life and death. The bitterness of their family tragedies fuels public interest, both in those that were taken too soon, and those who remain and have continued contributing to the familial empire.

Recent family divisions have fuelled the public desire for gossip but ultimately fractured the Kennedy legacy, which has been shaped by new-age technology for three generations now. Whether their influence will truly be everlasting remains to be seen. For now though, there is a seemingly never-ending fascination with the eccentric cast of characters that make up the family. It seems like they will remain on the global stage for a while yet – whether that’s in politics, history books, or TikTok algorithms.