Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has claimed to be unafraid in the face of germ – related risks
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that he isn’t scared of germs, remembering that he used to snort cocaine from toilet seats. He further said that he kept attending addiction recovery meetings during the Covid – 19 pandemic even though there were quarantine restrictions.
Kennedy Jr. is well – known for his anti – vaccine position and for challenging the mainstream medical and scientific views.
“For me, when I started, I said, ‘I don’t care what occurs, I’ll go to a meeting every day’,” Kennedy said when talking about his recovery on Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend, which was broadcast on Thursday. “I’m not frightened of a germ, you see. I used to snort cocaine off toilet seats. I know this illness will kill me if I don’t treat it, which means going to meetings daily. It’s just harmful to my life. For me, it was about survival.”
Kennedy Jr., the nephew of former US President John F. Kennedy, has previously mentioned that he started using drugs in the months after his father, Robert F. Kennedy Sr., was assassinated during the 1968 presidential campaign.
In 1983, he was arrested at Rapid City airport, in Iowa, for having 0.2 grams of heroin that was found in his carry – on luggage. After pleading guilty, Kennedy Jr was given a two – year probation, ordered to attend Narcotics Anonymous, and had to complete 1,500 hours of community service.
After an unsuccessful independent presidential attempt, he joined Trump’s 2024 campaign, with Trump promising to let him “do as he pleases” on healthcare policy. Kennedy Jr. became US Health Secretary in February 2025.
He established the anti – vaccine group Children’s Health Defense and has become well – known in the US for questioning the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccinations and promoting the idea that vaccines are related to autism. He was also a vocal critic of the Covid – 19 response measures recommended by the World Health Organization, such as the strict lockdowns and the rapid introduction of vaccines.
Despite this, Kennedy denies being against vaccination, pointing out that his own children are vaccinated. During his confirmation hearings, he said that he simply advocates for more rigorous studies and safety testing of vaccines.