Robert F Kennedy Jr has said he is “not scared of a germ” because he “used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats”.
The US health secretary, often called RFK Jr, made the confession to podcaster Theo Von during an episode of his show, This Past Weekend.
It came as the pair discussed their shared history of drug abuse, and attending support meetings together before they got cancelled during COVID. They later formed a “pirate” group that continued meeting during the pandemic.
Mr Kennedy reflected on his decades in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse.
He said: “I’m not scared of a germ… I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.”
“I know this disease will kill me,” he continued, referring to addiction.
“Like, if I don’t, if I don’t treat it, which means for me going to meetings every day. It’s just bad for my life.”
Protect Our Care, a non-profit fighting for affordable healthcare in the US, called for Mr Kennedy to step down after the interview.
In a statement, it said he was “the most dangerous, in over his head, ill-suited person ever to lead such an important federal agency that has life-and-death power”.
Brad Woodhouse, the organisation’s president, offered a one-word response: “Resign.”
Read more: RFK Jr: Who is Donald Trump’s health chief?
The confession, from the man heading up the government’s health policy, got more pushback on social media.
Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania, posted on X: “For some reason I don’t trust this guy on public health.”
While Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, highlighted a double standard on attitudes towards addiction.
He wrote: “Just a reminder that the Trump admin calls immigrants who’ve fallen into drug addiction ‘the worst of the worst’ criminals, no matter how long ago their addiction problems.”
Read more:
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Mr Kennedy has been open about his past drug addiction, which began after his father, also called Robert F Kennedy, was assassinated in June 1968 in Los Angeles, California.
He was twice arrested for drug offences; for cannabis possession in 1970, and heroin possession in 1983. He credits the latter arrest for pushing him to get sober.
Mr Kennedy made a name for himself as a vaccine sceptic during the coronavirus pandemic.
He has a history of repeating debunked claims, including linking vaccines with autism in children.
