JFK grandson on presidential library closure: Government 'using propaganda to steal the past'
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President Kennedy, spoke out against the Trump administration's overhaul of the federal workforce, which led to the recent closure of the presidential library and museum dedicated to the 35th president.
The "[Department of Government Efficiency] and the White House shut down the JFK library. Hey, it's Jack, I'm OK, but our country is not. It's under attack from its own government,” Schlossberg said in a Tuesday video posted to the social platform X.
“They are using propaganda to steal the past away from the American [people]," he continued. "In my opinion, it has nothing to do with government efficiency. The workers who were fired today actually bring in revenue for the government."
The site based in Boston announced its shutdown Tuesday afternoon, citing a staff shortage as a detriment to its ability to operate.
“The sudden dismissal of federal employees at the JFK Library forced the museum to close today. As the Foundation that supports the JFK Library, we are devastated by this news and will continue to support our colleagues and the Library,” a statement from the JFK Library Foundation reads.
Schlossberg, who has been a vocal critic of Trump, said the pause in services will not only impact his family’s legacy but also prevent citizens from learning of the actions chartered by Kennedy, including the 1969 moon landing, spurred by his grandfather’s speech before a special joint session of Congress.
“JFK sent a man to the moon, but you'd never know it if the JFK library wasn't open and no one was allowed to talk about it," he told his followers. "It's time to speak out and resist what's happening."
“If you're not doing that, you're not helping," he added. "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality. Dante's 'Inferno.'"
The strong rebuke comes less than a month after the president signed an executive order directing the release of federal government documents related to the assassination of Kennedy, his brother, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Schlossberg decried the move, arguing there was "nothing heroic" about Trump declassifying the files.
“Declassification is using JFK as a political prop, when he’s not here to punch back,” he wrote online last month. “There’s nothing heroic about it.”
Trump has also upended the workforce at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, ending the terms of multiple board members and installing himself as the new chief. The takeover sparked backlash and caused many of the cultural institution's stars to depart.
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