Caroline Kennedy talks with CNN's Jake Tapper

>>> WELCOME BACK.
WITH OUR NATIONAL LEAD TODAY,
NEXT MONDAY, MAY 29th.
IT'S MEMORIAL DAY BUT IT'S
SOMETHING ELSE, TOO.
IT'S WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY'S
100th BIRTHDAY.
A BIG MOMENT FOR THOSE WHO
REVERE ADMIRE THE YOUNGEST MAN
EVER ELECTED TO THE OFFICE OF
PRESIDENT, AND A MAN WHO ONLY
SERVED 1,037 DAYS BECAUSE OF
THAT TRAUMATIC AFTERNOON IN
DALLAS IN 1963.
THE JFK LEGACY LIVES ON AND
OTHER TO TALK ABOUT THAT LEGACY
IS CAROLINE KENNEDY, FORMER JOHN
F. KENNEDY'S DAUGHTER AND FORMER
AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN.
WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THERE'S A VIDEO MESSAGE TO
COMMEMORATE THE 100th
ANNIVERSARY FEATURING YOUR
CHILDREN, JFK'S ONLY
GRANDCHILDREN.
YOU'RE GIVING US GRACIOUSLY THIS
FIRST LOOK AT IT, SO WHY DON'T
WE ROLL THIS VIDEO AND THEN WE
CAN TALK ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
>> OKAY.
>> IT WOULD BE MY FATHER'S 100th
BIRTHDAY.
I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HIM AND
MISSED HIM EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.
GROWING UP WITHOUT HIM WAS MADE
EASIER THANKS TO ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO KEPT HIM IN THEIR HEARTS,
WHO TOLD ME THAT HE INSPIRED
THEM TO WORK AND FIGHT AND
BELIEVE IN A BETTER WORLD, TO
GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THIS
COUNTRY THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH
TO SO MANY.
I REMEMBER HIDING UNDERNEATH MY
FATHER'S OVAL OFFICE DESK WHEN I
WAS LITTLE AND SITTING ON HIS
LAB ON THE HONEY FITZ.
HE WOULD POINT OUT THE WHITE
SHARK AND PURPLE SHARK THOUGH I
COULD NEVER SEE THEM.
HE HAD HIS FRIENDS THROW THEIR
SOCKS OVERBOARD WHICH I LOVED.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY INSPIRED A
GENERATION THAT TRANSFORMED
AMERICA.
THEY MARCHED FOR JUSTICE.
THEY SERVED IN THE PEACE CORPS,
IN THE INNER CITIES AND OUTER
SPACE.
HIS BROTHERS CARRIED ON THAT
WORK FIGHTING AGAINST POVERTY,
VIOLENCE AND WAR, CHAMPIONING
HUMAN RIGHTS, HEALTH CARE AND
IMMIGRATION.
AS MY FATHER SAID IN HIS
INAUGURAL ADDRESS, THIS WORK
WILL NOT BE FINISHED IN OUR
LIFETIME.
TO US TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO
PASS THESE VALUES ON TO OUR
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
>> ONE OF DEFINING RELATIONSHIPS
IN MY LIFE IS WITH SOMEONE I'VE
NEVER MET, MY GRANDFATHER,
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY.
IT'S A LITTLE ODD TO BE
CONNECTED TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T
KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYONE
ELSE HAS ACCESS TO MUCH OF THE
SAME INFORMATION ABOUT HIM THAT
YOU DO.
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO CONNECT WITH MY
GRANDFATHER THROUGH THE STUDY OF
HISTORY WHICH I KNOW HE LOVED.
BOTH STUDYING HIS LIFE AND THE
ERAS AND PATTERNS THAT
FASCINATED HIM.
TO ME THAT'S WHERE HE LIVES, AS
A HISTORICAL FIGURE ROOTED IN
THE PAST BUT ALSO AS A PERSON
CONNECTED TO SO MUCH OF WHAT
CAME AFTER HIM, HIS WRITINGS AND
FROM THE STORIES MY RELATIVES
HAVE TOLD ME.
BUT WHILE MY GRANDFATHER HAD
REVERANCE FOR THE PAST AND THE
LESSONS THEY COULD IMPART, HE
ALSO KNEW THAT AMERICA WAS A
COUNTRY WHERE CHANGE WAS
POSSIBLE.
WE AREN'T BOUND SOLELY BY
TRADITION IF WE UNDERSTAND THE
PAST WITH WHICH WE ARE BREAKING.
>> I'M INSPIRED BY MY
GRANDFATHER'S SENSE OF EQUALITY,
HIS COURAGE IN NAMING THE
INJUSTICES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
AND HIS CALL FOR ACTION.
HIS WORDS AND HIS IDEALS MEAN SO
MUCH TO ME AND TO THE WORLD WE
LIVE IN TODAY, BUT WE'RE STILL
FACED WITH TREMENDOUS INEQUALITY
AND INJUSTICE FROM VOTING RIGHTS
TO OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
AND MASS INCARCERATION.
MY GRANDFATHER WOULD BE PROUD
HOW FAR WE'VE COME AS A NATION
SINCE 1963 BUT HE WOULD HAVE
BEEN THE FIRST TO TELL US WE
HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
I HOPE EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF
AGE OR PARTY WILL REMEMBER WHEN
PRESIDENT KENNEDY TOLD AMERICA
DECADES AGO THIS.
NATION WAS FOUNDED BY MANY
NATIONS AND BACKGROUNDS, IT WAS
FOUNDED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND
THE RIGHTS OF EVERY MAN ARE
DIMINISHED WHEN THE RIGHTS OF
ONE MAN ARE THREATENED.
>> PRESIDENT KENNEDY WAS ELECTED
ON A PLATFORM OF CHALLENGES AND
NOT PROMISES, NOT FOR WHAT HE
WOULD OFFER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AS PRESIDENT BUT WHAT HE WOULD
ASK OF THEM.
MY FAVORITE PEACH IS THE ONE
THAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY GIVE AT
RICE UNIVERSITY WHERE HE MAKES
THE CASE FOR SENDING A MAN TO
THE MOON.
HE SAID THAT THAT CHALLENGE WAS
WORTHWHILE NOT BECAUSE IT WOULD
BE EASY BUT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE
SO HARD.
MY GENERATION WILL INHERIT A
COMPLICATED WORLD WILL COUNTLESS
UNSOLVED PROBLEMS.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS ONE OF THEM
BUT IT'S THE TYPE OF CHALLENGE
THAT I THINK MY GRANDFATHER
WOULD HAVE BEEN ENERGIZED ABOUT
AND EAGER TO SOLVE.
HE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT, ABOUT SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY AND RECOGNIZE THAT
HAD ONLY IF AMERICA LEADS THE
WORLD IN SOLVING GLOBAL PROBLEMS
CAN WE MAKE SURE IT'S DONE
RIGHT.
FROM THAT SPEECH AT RICE AND
FROM THE SPACE PROGRAM HE HELPED
LAUNCH, WE CAN LEARN A SIMPLE
BUT IMPORTANT LESSON.
GREAT CHALLENGES ARE
OPPORTUNITIES, AND IT IS EACH
GENERATION'S RESPONSIBILITY TO
MEET THOSE CHALLENGES WITH THE
SAME COMBINATION OF ENERGY,
FAITH AND DEVOTION THAT
PRESIDENT KENNEDY AND HIS
CONTEMPORARIES DISPLAYED DECADES
AGO.
KNOWY WITH EAR UP TO THE TASK
BUT WE HAVE TO DEMAND ACTION
FROM OUR LEADERS AND WE HAVE TO
VOTE.
>> AS HIS FAMILY, WE'RE SO PROUD
OF WHAT MY FATHER STOOD FOR
DURING HIS LIFE AND HOW POWERFUL
THOSE VALUES REMAIN TODAY.
I HOPE THAT THESE REFLECTIONS ON
PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S LIFE AND HIS
INFLUENCE ON THOSE OF US WHO
SHARE HIS LEGACY WILL ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES TO LOOK AT CHALLENGES IN
THEIR OWN CORNER OF THE WORLD
AND SEEK SOLUTIONS THAT HEAL,
LIFT UP THE FORGOTTEN AND MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
OTHERS.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
>> POWERFUL VIDEO.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING IT
WITH US.
REALLY APPRECIATE IN THE.
>> THANK YOU.
I THINK IT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE
FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN, AND I
THINK THEY EACH SPEAK REALLY SO
ELOQUENTLY TO WHAT THIS LEGACY
MEANS TO THEM.
>> WHY A VIDEO FORMAT AS A WAY
OF COMMEMORATEING?
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY COMING -- YOUR
FATHER'S 100th BIRTHDAY IS
COMING UP MONDAY.
I'M SURE THERE WERE A LOT OF
PEOPLE WANT YOU GO YOU TO TALK,
WANTING YOUR CHILDREN TO TALK.
>> WELL, AS HE BECOMES PART OF
HISTORY I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT
TO SHOW SORT OF WHAT HE STILL
MEANS TO TUS AS A PERSON, AND I
THINK -- I THINK EACH OF MY KIDS
HAD A DIFFERENT SLIGHTLY TAKE ON
IT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTION
THERE, AND I THINK THAT PROBABLY
IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD SHARE
BETTER ON CAMERA.
>> I LOVE THAT STORY ABOUT YOUR
DAD TELLING YOU ABOUT THE WHITE
SHARK AND THE PURPLE SHARK
FOLLOWING YOU AND MAKING HIS
FRIENDS THROW SOCKS IN.
IT'S SUCH A GREAT CORNY DAD
JOKE.
BUT I DO WONDER HEARING IT LIKE
IS IT DIFFICULT HAVING YOUR DAD
BE THIS ICON THAT THE REST OF US
FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A SENSE OF AND
WE HAVE A TAKE ON, AND HE'S PART
OF OUR LIVES IN A WAY, AND YOU
ACTUALLY KNEW HIM?
>> WELL, I THINK REALLY HE SORT
OF -- GROWING UP HE WAS SORT OF
PART OF EVERYONE'S LIFE, AND SO
THAT WAS A VERY SPECIAL AND
UNIQUE THING FOR ME, BUT I THINK
IT REALLY MEANT A LOT, AND I
THINK IT MADE IT A LOT EASIER,
AND I HAD SO MANY RELATIVES
OBVIOUSLY AS WELL, SO -- SO THE
FACT THAT PEOPLE WOULD COME UP
TO ME EVERY DAY AND SAY, YOU
KNOW, I GOT INVOLVED IN MY
COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF YOUR
FATHER'S INAUGURAL SPEECH, AND
EVEN WHEN I WAS IN JAPAN, PEOPLE
WERE STILL TELLING ME THAT THEY
HAD MEMORIZED THAT SPEECH, THAT
THEY WERE SO INSPIRED BY
PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S VISION OF
SERVICE AND OF AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP THAT I THINK THAT
THAT REALLY KEPT HIM ALIVE.
>> NOT A LOT WILL HAVE INAUGURAL
SPEECHES THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL
QUOTING FROM.
>> RIGHT, I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT IF.
>> WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE
YOUR CHILDREN?
WE DON'T SEE ROSE, TATTIANA AND
JACK, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE -- THEY
ARE PRIVATE FIGURES.
>> WELL, I THINK THE POINT HERE
IS THAT -- THAT HE IS A
HISTORICAL FIGURE.
100 YEARS IS A REALLY LONG TIME,
BUT I THINK HIS LEGACY AND
VALUES ARE TIMELESS AND LIVE ON,
AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOUNGER
PEOPLE TODAY WHO ARE STILL VERY
CURIOUS ABOUT PRESIDENT KENNEDY
TO CONNECT WITH THOSE VALUES, TO
CONNECT WITH HIS MESSAGE OF
JUSTICE AND SERVICE AND COURAGE,
AND SO -- AND INNOVATION AND
EXPERIMENTATION AND -- AND THE
BELIEF IN AMERICA, SO THEY I
THINK ARE THE BEST PEOPLE TO
TAKE THAT MESSAGE FORWARD INTO
THE 21st CENTURY.
>> YOUR DAUGHTER, I BELIEVE IT
WAS ROSE, SAID -- OR MAYBE IT
WAS TATIANA, ACTUALLY, THAT
GROWING UP SHE NEVER EVEN MET
HIM SO SHE LEARNED ABOUT HIM THE
SAME WAY THAT I LEARNED ABOUT
HIM IN SCHOOL.
WHAT DID YOUR KIDS ASK YOU ABOUT
HIM WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP?
>> I CAN'T -- WELL, NOW THEY ARE
OLDER SO I THINK THAT THEY WERE
BOTH INTERESTED IN ANYTHING THAT
I REMEMBERED WHICH ARE MOSTLY
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES, SO WHEN THEY
WERE LITTLE WE COULD TALK ABOUT
THOSE THINGS AND HIDING UNDER
THE DESK AND MY PONY OR MY PETS
AND I KNOW WHEN MY UNCLE TEDDY
CAME TO TALK TO THEIR CLASSES HE
WOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT ALL THE
PETS THAT HAD LIVED IN THE WHITE
HOUSE, THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT AS
THEY GOT OLDER I THINK THEY
REALLY BECAME INTERESTED IN THE
ISSUES AND THE RELEVANCE TODAY.
SO MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE
NOW ON THE -- IN THE HEADLINES
HAD THEIR ROOTS IN THE 1960s,
WHETHER IT'S WORKING THROUGH
MULTI-LUT RALL INSTITUTIONS LIKE
THE U.N. OR ENVIRONMENTAL
MOVEMENT AND -- AND CIVIL RIGHTS
OBVIOUSLY INSPIRING THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT AROUND THE WORLD
SO I THINK THAT REALLY IT IS --
STUDY HISTORY REALLY ISN'T ABOUT
THE PAST, IT'S ABOUT WHAT KIND
OF WORLD DO WE WANT TO CREATE
FOR THE FUTURE.
>> YOUR DAD WAS SO ERUDITE AND
PROUD ABOUT HIS WIT, DO YOU
THINK HE WOULD MICK A GO THE OF
POLITICS TODAY?
THAT'S MAYBE A TOUGH ONE.
>> WELL, I THINK, AGAIN, AND I
WENT BACK AND LOOKING AT HIS
SPEECH THAT HE GAVE RIGHT BEFORE
HE BECAME PRESIDENT AND HE SAID
HISTORY WILL JUDGE US BY FOUR
QUALITIES, COURAGE, DEDICATION,
QUALITY AND JUDGMENT SO I THINK
THAT'S HOW HE WOULD JUDGE
POLITICS TODAY, AND I THINK, YOU
KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN MAKE UP
THEIR OWN MIND.
>> YOU DON'T DO A LOT OF
INTERVIEWS LIKE THIS ABOUT YOUR
FATHER.
IS IT TOUGH TO DO?
>> WELL, IT'S -- IT'S A LOT
EASIER TO DO WITH MY CHILDREN,
AND I THINK I'M SO PROUD THAT
THEY ARE PROUD OF HIS LEGACY,
AND I THINK HAVING A CHANCE TO
SHARE IT WITH THEM AND WITH
ANOTHER GENERATION MAKES IT --
MAKES IT A LOT MORE FUN MORE ME
OR ENJOYABLE.
>> WELL, IT'S AN INSPIRING
LEGACY AND SO HONOR THAT HAD YOU
GAME HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT
IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THAT'S IT FOR "THE

Caroline Kennedy talks with CNN's Jake Tapper

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