The world was collectively getting used to watching Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. work out in blue jeans, but the publicity-loving former heroin addict might have taken it a little too far this time.
Kennedy posted a strangely edited clip on Tuesday of him pumping iron and working out with Kid Rock—yes, really—at the MAGA-friendly dad rock singer’s 27,000 square-foot mansion.
“I’ve teamed up with Kid Rock to deliver two simple messages to the American people: GET ACTIVE + EAT REAL FOOD,” he captioned the video as the singer’s 1999 hit “Bawitdaba” played in the background.
Props to the Trump administration for actually getting prior permission to use an artist’s music on a social media clip for once! But bad music aside, there are many head-scratching aspects to this minute-long bro fest.
Interspersed with shots of Kennedy eating and the duo clinking then drinking glasses of whole milk, the video seems to push the idea of an accessible fitness routine—all from the convenience of the singer’s elaborate Nashville mansion, which resembles a mini White House.
During their “Rock Out Work Out,” the politician gets a pump on in Rock’s large in-home gym before the two shirtless men switch to a cardio routine inside Rock’s in-home sauna.
Still clad in blue jeans, Kennedy also manages to fit in a cold plunge in Kid Rock’s—you guessed it—in-home cold plunge tub. A judgy Kennedy later finds Kid Rock taking the easy way out in his enormous hot tub.
The very relatable duo finishes their workout with a friendly match at Kid Rock’s indoor pickleball court.
Ironically, the most unrealistic aspect of this bonkers video is expecting everyday Americans to do these activities while wearing snug blue jeans.
Related | What’s up with RFK Jr.’s jeans obsession?
Humor aside, Kennedy’s weird fitness habits—despite recently recalling his years of doing cocaine off of toilet seats—go hand in hand with a general lack of movement in the United States.
American culture seems to push the concept of exercise being an extracurricular, pay-to-play activity. And bro culture, which glorifies pumping iron in celebrity mansions or doing pull-ups at the airport while waiting for your delayed flight, only exacerbates that issue.
The Trump administration continues to push unrealistic fitness routines (like the bizarre “Pete and Bobby Challenge”) and simple willpower over introducing systemic changes and funding policies that would actually be conducive to healthier living.
When Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Kennedy showed off their pull-up prowess while announcing an initiative for airports to include healthy food alternatives, the Cabinet members got side-eye for the strangely braggy display. But these Trump bros seem to think that being able to do 50 pull-ups and 100 sit-ups in less than five minutes will magically keep health problems away.
Related | Airports got you down? Sean Duffy says drop and give me 20.
And Kennedy and his minions at Health and Human Services have been criticized for undermining things that actually keep people healthy—like vaccines— while making health care access more difficult for the most vulnerable.
While the formerly anti-Trump politician rallied against food dyes that are now quietly being reintroduced under new names, preventable diseases likes measles jumped under Kennedy’s vaccine-resistant watch.
It’s no wonder public trust in government health agencies has plummeted since Kennedy took the helm.
It’s unclear what Kennedy hoped his strange collaboration with Kid Rock would accomplish— aside from some cringe reactions and maybe his very own vaguely racist blue jeans ad campaign.
