A prominent cardiologist who served in the White House has unleashed a blistering attack on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his claim that Americans are “the sickest people in the world,” calling the statement “just ****” and warning against the health official’s increasingly controversial messaging on nutrition and public health.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who served as Vice President Dick Cheney’s longtime cardiologist during the George W. Bush administration and now works as a CNN medical analyst, took aim at Kennedy’s recent appearance on podcaster Theo Von’s show “This Past Weekend,” where the health secretary blamed ultra-processed foods and government misinformation for America’s health crisis.
Reiner fired back on social media, arguing that while there’s much to improve about American health—including better nutrition and childhood vaccinations—labeling Americans the sickest population on the planet is simply false.
The confrontation highlights growing tensions between traditional medical professionals and Kennedy, whose appointment as Health and Human Services Secretary under President Donald Trump has raised eyebrows across the medical establishment. Kennedy, known for his controversial views on vaccines and public health, has made combating chronic disease and ultra-processed foods central to his agenda.
During his podcast appearance, Kennedy painted a stark picture of America’s health landscape, claiming that when his uncle President John F. Kennedy was in office, the country spent “zero on chronic disease.” Today, Kennedy argued, the nation spends $4.3 trillion annually on chronic disease treatment, representing roughly 40 cents of every federal tax dollar.
Kennedy also pointed to dramatic shifts in childhood obesity rates as evidence of his claims. He told Von that when he was a child, five percent of children were obese, but today overweight rates have soared to 40 percent among children and even higher among adults. Kennedy insisted Americans don’t become obese because they’re lazy or lack willpower—they’re being “mass poisoned” by the food system.
The health secretary continued with increasingly inflammatory rhetoric, claiming that 70 percent of the food American children consume is ultra-processed and amounts to “poison.” He blamed the Food and Drug Administration for misleading the public about nutrition.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 90 percent of the nation’s $4.9 trillion in annual health care expenditures go toward treating people with chronic and mental health conditions. The agency also reports that obesity costs the U.S. health care system nearly $173 billion annually and that only 2 in 5 young adults are weight-eligible and physically prepared for basic military training.
Kennedy’s credibility took another hit during the same podcast appearance when he made a stunning admission about his past drug use, telling Von he’s “not scared of a germ” because he “used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats,” while discussing his ongoing recovery from addiction.
Reiner seized on the revelation, writing on social media that it was “not an ideal resume item for an official who directs U.S. health policy.”
The clash between Reiner and Kennedy extends beyond nutrition debates. The cardiologist and professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University has also raised concerns about President Trump’s health in recent months, questioning the administration’s transparency about Trump’s medical examinations at Walter Reed Medical Center—including skepticism about the White House’s explanation for advanced imaging tests the president received in October 2025.
Kennedy’s unconventional approach to health policy has included appearances in bizarre promotional videos and controversial statements about food safety. In one appearance on Fox News alongside former boxer Mike Tyson, Kennedy told viewers to be suspicious of any food that “comes from a package.”
Reiner pushed back against that guidance as well, advising Americans to simply read nutrition labels rather than avoid all packaged foods. He posted an image of bagged salads to illustrate his point that not all packaged foods are harmful.
The health secretary has also championed President Trump’s decision to sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act in January, which allows schools to serve whole and 2% milk in cafeterias for the first time in more than a decade. The legislation, part of Kennedy’s broader campaign against what he views as government-sanctioned dietary misinformation, reverses Obama-era limits on higher-fat milk options.
Kennedy has appeared with controversial figures including Kid Rock in fitness videos promoting the message “GET ACTIVE + EAT REAL FOOD.” The 90-second workout video, posted Tuesday, drew widespread mockery for its bizarre staging—including scenes of the 72-year-old Kennedy exercising shirtless on a stationary bike in a sauna while wearing jeans, Kid Rock flipping the middle finger at the camera, and both men drinking whole milk in a hot tub.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Reiner’s criticism. As the debate over American health policy intensifies, the confrontation between establishment medical voices and Kennedy’s populist approach shows no signs of cooling.