Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted video footage Tuesday showing himself capturing two black racer snakes at a beachfront property owned by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, while his wife pleaded with him to release the reptiles.
Wife Begs Kennedy to Stop
The video shows Kennedy handling both non-venomous snakes as they repeatedly attempted to bite him. His wife, actress Cheryl Hines, can be heard warning him throughout the encounter. She repeatedly pleaded with Kennedy to release the animals, calling them dangerous and saying his name multiple times in distress. Kennedy appeared unconcerned by her warnings and continued displaying the snakes to Oz and his wife with a broad smile. The fate of the captured snakes after the video ended remains unknown.
Pattern of Animal Encounters
Kennedy has documented similar snake wrangling incidents during his 2024 presidential campaign, posting videos of himself removing snakes from homes and releasing them into his backyard or the Santa Monica wilderness. His campaign also shared footage from a 1974 documentary showing a 20-year-old Kennedy catching a puff adder in Kenya. Last month, reports emerged that Kennedy once stopped his vehicle on a highway to remove the genitals from a dead raccoon for unspecified research purposes. When questioned about the incident, Kennedy responded only with laughter.
Kennedy’s daughter Kick previously recounted an incident from her childhood when a dead whale washed ashore at Squaw Island in the Finger Lakes. Kennedy drove to the beach with a chainsaw, removed the whale’s head, and strapped it to the family vehicle’s roof. She described how whale fluid poured through the car windows during highway travel, creating an overwhelming smell. Kennedy’s former cousin Caroline Kennedy told lawmakers that he would blend baby chicks and mice to feed his hawks, describing his college living space as disturbing.
History of Unusual Wildlife Incidents
During his 2024 presidential bid, Kennedy addressed accusations about a photograph from the early 2000s that appeared to show him eating roasted dog meat. He insisted the animal was actually a goat. Kennedy maintained he would never consume human or canine flesh despite his well-documented carnivore diet. In 2024, Kennedy admitted to placing a dead bear cub in Central Park and staging it to appear as a bicycle accident victim. He remained silent about his involvement until New York magazine uncovered the story. Kennedy explained he found the cub during a falconing trip in Goshen, New York, initially planning to skin and preserve it.