President Donald Trump has faced a backlash after using the death of Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of John F Kennedy, to share social media posts criticising the Kennedy family. Schlossberg, 35, an environmental journalist for The New York Times and The New Yorker, died of a rare form of leukaemia on Tuesday.
Rather than offer condolences, Trump reposted several messages on Truth Social attacking the Kennedys for allegedly neglecting the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which he has taken over and rebranded as the “Trump Kennedy Center”. One post from National Pulse editor Raheem Kassam accused the family of failing to raise money for the venue and rarely attending events.
Among those praised in Trump’s posts were allies including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Schlossberg’s uncle. However, Schlossberg had criticised RFK Jr in a New Yorker essay last month, writing: “I watched from my hospital bed as Bobby, in the face of logic and common sense, was confirmed for the position.”
The president’s actions drew condemnation from anti-Trump group MeidasTouch, which said: “On a day when the Kennedy family is grappling with an unimaginable personal loss, Donald Trump chose to use his platform to launch petty, vindictive attacks.” CNN anchor Jake Tapper described the posts as “social media garbage”.
