Tatiana Schlossberg, a journalist and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, has publicly condemned her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She linked his vaccine skepticism and political appointment to her recent terminal cancer diagnosis.
Schlossberg, 35, revealed her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia in an essay for The New Yorker published on Saturday, November 22. Doctors have given her approximately one year to live.
The diagnosis came after she gave birth to her daughter in May 2024. Schlossberg and her husband, George Moran, also have a 3-year-old son, Edwin.
She underwent a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City. Her personal health crisis unfolded as RFK Jr., 71, made significant political moves.
His actions included suspending his independent presidential campaign and endorsing Donald Trump for 2024. RFK Jr. subsequently accepted a position as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration.
Schlossberg expressed distress from her hospital bed. "I watched from my hospital bed as Bobby, against all logic and common sense, was confirmed for the position, despite never having worked in medicine, public health, or government," she wrote.
She felt the entire healthcare system was "overloaded and faltering" during her urgent need for 24-hour medical care. Schlossberg also voiced concerns about the potential impact on her own health.
Her husband, George Moran, works as a doctor at Columbia University. She worried about maintaining health insurance for her new pre-existing condition, especially given RFK Jr.’s stance.
The Trump administration had withdrawn $400 million in grants to Columbia University in March 2025 due to campus protest complaints. "Bobby is a known vaccine skeptic, and I was especially worried about not being able to get vaccinated again," Schlossberg wrote.
This would leave her immunocompromised for the rest of her life. Millions of other cancer survivors, young children, and elderly individuals also face similar risks, she noted.
Schlossberg also criticized RFK Jr.’s 2023 comments on the "Lex Fridman Podcast." He stated then that "there is no vaccine that is safe and effective."
RFK Jr. later clarified he is "pro-safety" rather than "anti-vaccine." Schlossberg contrasted his views with historical context. "Bobby probably doesn’t remember the millions of people who were paralyzed or died from polio before the vaccine existed," she wrote.
Her father, who grew up in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s, vividly remembered the polio epidemic. He described receiving the vaccine as "feeling freedom."
Schlossberg initially found her diagnosis hard to believe while nine months pregnant. "I wasn’t sick. I didn’t feel sick. In fact, I was one of the healthiest people I knew," she stated.
Many other Kennedy family members have also spoken out against RFK Jr. Five relatives—Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy, and Rory Kennedy—issued a joint statement in August 2024.
They denounced his endorsement of Donald Trump. "Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values our father and our family held most dear," their statement read.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the family disagreements in a CNN interview. He noted that political differences are common in large families. "I don’t know anyone in America who has a family that agrees with them on everything," he stated.
Tatiana’s mother, Caroline Kennedy, also criticized RFK Jr.’s nomination to the Department of Health and Human Services in early 2025. She stated that he lacked "relevant experience in government, finance, management, or medicine."
Caroline Kennedy called his vaccine opinions "dangerous and deliberately erroneous."
Tatiana’s younger brother, Jack Schlossberg, 32, has also engaged in public criticism. In July 2025, he posted a mocking comment about RFK Jr.’s wife, Cheryl Hines, on X.
"I’ve never met Cheryl Hines, but if I did, I’d tell her she looks super dehydrated," Jack Schlossberg joked.
Jack Schlossberg recently announced his own political ambitions. He plans to run for Congress in New York’s 12th district in the 2026 midterm elections.