At a Glance
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Donald Trump after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the president was “pumping himself full of poison all day.”
- Kennedy claimed Trump eats McDonald’s, candy, and Diet Coke constantly while on the road.
- Leavitt said Trump “has his own personal habits” but fully supports the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
- Why it matters: The public clash highlights tension between Trump’s personal lifestyle choices and his administration’s health policies.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is pushing back after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blasted Donald Trump’s diet in a podcast interview, saying the president was “pumping himself full of poison.”
Kennedy’s Shocking Comments
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Kennedy appeared on Katie Miller’s podcast and didn’t hold back when discussing Trump’s eating habits.
“He eats really bad food, which is McDonald’s, and candy and Diet Coke. But he drinks Diet Coke at all times,” Kennedy told Miller, who is married to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
Despite his criticism, Kennedy acknowledged Trump’s resilience, saying, “He has the constitution of a deity. I don’t know how he’s alive. He’s just pumping himself full of poison all day long.”
The health secretary did offer some balance, noting that when Trump is at “Mar-a-Lago or at the White House, he’s eating really good food.” Kennedy explained that Trump’s fast food consumption happens primarily while traveling because he “trusts it and he doesn’t want to get sick.”
Leavitt Defends Trump
When asked about Kennedy’s comments during a Wednesday interview with Politico, Leavitt acknowledged Trump’s dietary choices while defending his commitment to health policies.
“The president has his own personal habits, but he understands the movement and the power behind all of these moms who have united in pushing for a real public health change, and he fully supports it and gets it,” Leavitt said.
She emphasized Trump’s belief in parental choice, adding, “He’s also a huge believer in choice for parents in parental decision making, whether it comes to education or health. He knows that parents are the best people who are best suited to make decisions for their kids, and he fully empowers that mentality.”
The press secretary’s comments came as the White House promoted its Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign.
Trump’s Milk Proclamation
The diet controversy emerged as Trump announced a new initiative on Wednesday, Jan. 14, declaring that children would now have access to whole milk in schools. He signed the “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act” in the Oval Office, according to a USDA press release.
During the press conference, Trump made a surprising claim about his cognitive abilities, telling reporters: “I’ve taken a lot of them. I’ve aced every one of them because I drink milk.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai previously responded to Kennedy’s claims in a statement to News Of Losangeles, saying: “Secretary Kennedy is right: as his golf championships and flawless physical report results indicate, President Trump has the constitution and energy levels most young people could only dream of having.”
Trump’s Health Claims
This isn’t the first time Trump has boasted about his health. In a Jan. 2 Truth Social post, he claimed to have aced his latest cognitive examination.
“The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take,” Trump wrote.
He added: “I strongly believe that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination. Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!”
The repetition of Trump’s claim about passing three cognitive exams raises questions about whether he’s referring to a new report or repeating previous statements.
The MAHA Movement
The tension between Trump’s personal habits and his administration’s health policies highlights the complexity of promoting the MAHA agenda while maintaining personal dietary freedom.
Leavitt emphasized that despite Trump’s “own personal habits,” he recognizes “the movement and the power behind all of these moms who have united in pushing for a real public health change.”
The White House didn’t immediately respond when contacted by News Of Losangeles for comment on the matter.
Key Takeaways:
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly criticized Trump’s diet, claiming he consumes McDonald’s, candy, and Diet Coke constantly
• Karoline Leavitt defended Trump while acknowledging his “personal habits” don’t align with MAHA recommendations
• Trump signed whole milk legislation for schools while claiming milk helped him ace cognitive tests
• The administration faces challenges promoting health initiatives while the president maintains fast food preferences
• Both Kennedy and Trump staff acknowledge the president’s “constitution of a deity” despite questionable dietary choices
