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As the Kennedy family mourns the untimely death of Tatiana Schlossberg, daughter of Caroline Kennedy and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, Donald Trump shared a post on social media mocking the family.
Tatiana, the middle child of Caroline Kennedy and her husband Edwin Schlossberg, passed away at the age of 35 on Tuesday, December 30, just over a month after publicly sharing that she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
The news was shared by the JFK Library Foundation’s social media accounts on behalf of Tatiana’s family, including her husband, Dr. George Moran, and their young children, Edwin and Josephine.
“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” the post read, and was signed by “George, Edwin, Josephine Moran, Ed, Caroline, Jack, Rose and Rory.”
President Trump was flooded with social media after Tatiana’s death, but did not directly address her death. Instead, he shared a screenshot of a MAGA supporter mocking the famous political family for its recent reaction to his decision to add his name to the Kennedy Center, a historic performance venue in Washington, D.C., dedicated as a memorial to JFK after he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.
“By the way, the Kennedy family has been ignoring the Kennedy Center for a long time,” one person argued. “They don’t raise money for it. They never show up. And the only Kennedy who’s been there recently is a member of Trump’s cabinet.”
“The Trumps have always been supporters of the arts. The Kennedys have always been supporters of the Kennedys,” read another article.
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White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt announced Thursday, Dec. 18, that the historic venue’s board of directors “unanimously voted” to change the building’s name to the Trump Kennedy Center. The next day, workers added “With Donald Trump” above the existing words “John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center.”
However, controversy soon arose between Kennedy Center board members and family members. Tatiana’s brother, Jack Schlossberg, wrote to X that “mics were muted” during the conference call during which the board voted, and that the result “was not unanimous.”
Jack’s claims echo comments from Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board of directors. After the vote, Beatty complained to X that she and other vote opponents were silent on the conference call and were not allowed to vote for differing opinions.
“For the record, this was not unanimous. I was muted on my phone and was not allowed to speak or voice opposition to this move,” Beatty, 75, wrote. “And for the record, this was not an agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship.”
In a video message, she continued, “Obviously Congress has a say in this. This center, the Kennedy Center, was established by Congress. I think it’s important for us to know that this is just an attempt to evade the law and not give the people a voice.”
Other Kennedys are also approaching the issue from a legal perspective. “The Kennedy Center is a living monument to our fallen president and was named for him by federal law,” wrote Joe Kennedy III, grandson of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. “No matter what anyone says, you can’t change the name any more than someone can change the name of the Lincoln Memorial.”
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The Kennedy family has yet to respond to President Trump’s latest attacks. The only family members to post on social media in the hours after Tatiana’s death were those who shared loving tributes, like Caroline’s cousin Maria Shriver, who was directly mocked in some of Trump’s screenshots.
“Today, I return to this space to pay tribute to my sweet and beloved Tatiana who left this earth. I pay tribute to her loving and supportive family who joined together and did everything they could to help her.” I returned to this space with a broken heart because Tatiana loved her life and fought desperately to save it.”
“I don’t understand this. I don’t understand it at all. There’s nothing. Zero,” she continued. “Since we were little, my heart has always been for my cousin Caroline. Now my whole being is with her. What an amazing person she was.”
“Those of us left behind will make sure to tell Eddie and Josie what a beautiful and brave spirit their mother was and always will be. She takes over from their extraordinary mother, Caroline. We all hope that today alone Tatiana’s family will know what a beautiful and brave spirit their mother was and always will be. May you continue to embrace each other and every one of you reading this, please stop and admire your life. It is truly a gift.”
