Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. grabbed a pair of black North American racer snakes with his bare hands as his wife Cheryl Hines watched on in apparent horror in a video posted to Kennedy Jr.’s X account Tuesday.
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What they’re saying:
“Honey, honey… why?” Hines yelled as Kennedy Jr. cornered the reptiles on Dr. Mehemet Oz’s patio.
Still images taken from video shared by HHS Sec. RFK Jr. on May 26, 2026, of himself wrangling snakes. (Credit: Robert F. Kennedy Jr via Storyful)
Dig deeper:
Kennedy Jr. then crouched down and lunged at the frenzying creatures, struggling for a moment before grasping the pair by their tails.
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The backstory:
This isn’t Kennedy Jr.’s first interaction with wild animals.
In addition to being an avid falconer, Kennedy Jr. has handled a wide assortment of creatures. News wires lit up in 2024 after the former environmental lawyer admitted to dumping a bear carcass in Central Park.
In another wild tale, Kennedy Jr. allegedly cut the head off of a dead whale, strapped it to the hood of his car and drove it from a Massachusetts beach to Mount Kisco, New York.
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