According to a report, Robert Kennedy Jr., right, “laid in to” President-elect Donald Trump, left, over his diet, but watching the video, it’s clear that is not the case. (Saul Loeb – AFP / Getty Images ; Patrick T. Fallon – AFP / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short November 14, 2024 at 10:01am
Is there a rift forming between Robert F Kennedy Jr and President-elect Donald Trump?
If you ask the U.K.’s Daily Mail, there is.
In an article published Wednesday, the Mail lifted comments from Kennedy during his appearance on “The Joe Polish Show,” which was posted to the show’s YouTube channel Tuesday. The headline reads as follows:
“RFK Jr. lays in to Donald Trump’s love of fast food branding it ‘really bad — poison’ as he is tipped for West Wing role as health advisor.”
From his comments, is it accurate to say that Kennedy did “lay in to” Trump? Not exactly.
Early in the show, Kennedy discussed Trump’s campaign and his legendary energy for campaigning and public appearances as the president-elect seems to never get tired despite his blistering pace.
The conversation migrated to Trump’s diet, with Kennedy telling Polish, “The stuff that he eats is really, like bad.” While Kennedy admitted campaigning can lead to a poor diet, he said the food on Trump’s plane was “poison.”
Kennedy described a Trump plane ride as being the choice of evils between McDonald’s Big Macs and KFC, “when you’re lucky,” while saying the other food options were “inedible.”
Should RFK be included in the Trump administration?
It’s no secret Trump is a fan of the UFC as he’s been seen in the front row at big events, sitting next to UFC President Dana White.
As White has developed a relationship with Kennedy, the latter also brought up that White told him “he has never seen Trump drink a glass of water” during a fight.
Kennedy concluded on that topic by describing Trump’s energy as “extraordinary.”
So, did Kennedy “lay in to” Trump? The remarks on paper might mislead the reader, but the video tells a different story.
Trump is a known fan of McDonalds and Diet Coke — which Kennedy also mentioned — making his diet less than ideal.
Sure, Kennedy would prefer Trump change what he eats and maybe drink water, but note the tone.
He is expressing his amazement at Trump’s work ethic and energy levels despite all the horrible food he consumes.
Kennedy is criticizing Trump’s diet, but he’s admitting the results are still there.
We all have a relative or friend we wish would exercise more, eat better, and get better sleep. We don’t critique them because we hate them; we do it because we care.
Kennedy cares about Trump and about the country. He isn’t laying into him.
Sam Short is an Instructor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London.
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