This time, it wasn't his statements on health policy that lit up social media, but a viral video showing him handling black snakes in Florida without any protective measures.
The most recent incident with wild animals took place on the property of Mehmet Oz, who currently serves as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency directly under Kennedy's department. In the footage, shared by Kennedy himself on the social network X, the Secretary of Health is seen picking up two Black Racers snakes by their tails.
The message accompanying the recording reads: "Cheryl encourages the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr. Oz's yard," clearly referring to his wife, actress Cheryl Hines. Despite the US National Park Service stating that these snakes "are non-venomous and pose no threat to humans as long as they are left alone," the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has emphasized the importance of keeping a distance and avoiding direct contact with wildlife. This episode adds to a long list of stories linking the influential Kennedy clan member to unconventional animal-related practices.
In 2024, Kennedy confessed to being involved in a strange incident a decade earlier: after finding a dead bear, he decided to transport it to Central Park in New York and leave it next to a bicycle to simulate a hit-and-run, a case that puzzled local authorities for years. But the anecdotes don't end there. Biographies and family accounts describe even more peculiar behaviors, such as transporting the head of a dead whale on the roof of his vehicle for skull study, or extracting the penis of a roadkill raccoon for research purposes.
Kennedy Jr.'s figure remains under close media scrutiny due to his key role in the Trump administration. His management of American public health has been marked from the start by his outspoken criticism of vaccines and opposition to fluoride in drinking water. This new video of him handling reptiles without gloves only reinforces the image of a politician who, beyond his institutional responsibilities, maintains a relationship with nature as close as it is unpredictable.