RFK Jr. Backs Trump Amid Calls for His Resignation

On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took to X – the platform formerly known as Twitter – to tell anyone who’d listen that he stands “firmly behind” President Donald Trump and the slew of health‑related reforms they’re touting together.

Kennedy’s post was more than a simple endorsement. He listed, in a rapid‑fire style, the administration’s recent achievements: a rewrite of the federal dietary guidelines to put “real food” front and center, a series of voluntary pledges from big‑name food producers to ditch petroleum‑based synthetic dyes, and the launch of systematic reviews targeting chemicals already lurking in the nation’s food supply.

“Draining the swamp is a mandate, and we have an obligation to deliver,” Kennedy wrote, a line that felt ripped straight from the Trump playbook. He went on to argue that for decades, entrenched interests have pulled the strings in Washington, regardless of party, and that it was now up to ordinary Americans – not corporate lobbyists – to steer health policy.

In a paragraph that read almost like a press release, Kennedy recapped the tally of accomplishments: “In less than two years, this administration has rewritten federal dietary guidelines to emphasize real food, secured commitments from major food companies to remove petroleum‑based synthetic dyes and other additives, launched systematic reviews of chemicals already in our food supply, and proposed requiring companies to notify the FDA before introducing ingredients they independently deem safe.” He added, almost as an after‑thought, that there were “hundreds of other accomplishments, but there’s still more work to do.”

He didn’t shy away from the work still on the table. “We must finish food‑ingredient reform, advance our work on ultra‑processed foods, and put children’s health at the center of federal policy,” he said, promising to keep pushing the agenda “across this administration and work with anyone in either party who will help deliver them.”

The post landed at a tense moment. Earlier this week, two Democratic senators – Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland – took to the same platform demanding that Kennedy either resign or be fired. Warnock warned that Kennedy would spend the next two years “in front of Congressional committees” unless he stepped down, while Alsobrooks bluntly wrote, “The time is now. RFK Jr. must resign or be fired. End of discussion.”

Kennedy’s support for Trump isn’t brand‑new. Back in August, Breitbart reported that he announced two new steps to shore up the “Make America Health Again” (MAHA) movement, including a rule that would force manufacturers to tell the FDA when they consider a food additive “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). Since then, giants like General Mills, Hershey and Nestlé have publicly pledged to phase out artificial dyes and flavors, with Nestlé actually removing FD&C colors from its lineup last year after a promised deadline.

Whether Kennedy’s rallying cry will win over skeptics on the left, or simply deepen the partisan divide over how America feeds its people, remains to be seen. What’s clear is that the conversation about food, health and politics has moved from the lab to the hallway of the Capitol – and the stakes feel higher than ever.