HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Ventures into Cooking, Leaving Critical Tasks Behind

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House on May 27, 2026, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., quietly sat in attendance. A surprising turn of events followed as Kennedy, with White House approval, introduced his cooking show on HBO. The show, titled “The Real Food Show,” features Kennedy alongside chef Andrew Gruel in Huntington Beach, California. Their aim in the first episode is to encourage Americans to consume less beef and more seafood.

In the premiere, they prepared wild Alaska salmon cakes. Kennedy claims these can be made for under $5 per serving with canned salmon. However, watching the video raises several concerns. It becomes clear that Kennedy is not familiar with kitchen activities. For most of the episode, he passively watches as Gruel handles the cooking, occasionally stirring ingredients when directed but offering no input on ingredient choice or spice levels. His participation could easily have been performed by a robot.

When Kennedy does speak, he talks about “flipping the food pyramid,” but gives no explanation. Additionally, he mentions efforts to reduce beef prices through larger cattle herds, yet fails to define the connection to eating more seafood, the main theme of the video.

One might wonder if the Secretary of Health and Human Services should focus on more pressing issues. Recent public health reports highlight crises such as 2,371 measles cases, the recall of 1.6 million dozen eggs due to salmonella, an outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to shredded lettuce, and increasing Covid infections across 41 states. These urgent health matters demand the attention of an HHS Secretary, yet Kennedy was filming cooking shows instead.

There is further doubt about Kennedy’s credibility as a food advisor when past stories surface. He admitted to picking up roadkill, like a dead bear, with intentions to eat it but later abandoned the plan. Caroline Kennedy, in a letter opposing his appointment, and his daughter both mention bizarre incidents involving animal remains and Kennedy’s unconventional approaches.

The future of RFK Jr.’s cooking show remains uncertain. However, it might serve him better to end with this single episode. With significant tasks at hand as HHS Secretary, investing time in a cooking show seems misguided. Meanwhile, American audiences have numerous cooking shows hosted by experienced chefs like Ina Garten from the Food Network to turn to for culinary guidance, without needing advice from someone whose meal choices once included roadkill.

Bill Press is the host of The Bill Press Pod and author of “From the Left: A Life in the Crossfire.”