The Department of Health and Human Services has increasingly found itself at the center of controversy, as its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., advances health claims that critics say are not backed by established scientific consensus and often challenge long-standing medical guidance.
That tension between mainstream public health policy and Kennedy’s personal views resurfaced this week during an appearance on comedian Theo Von’s podcast, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, where the HHS chief spoke candidly about his past drug addiction, and made a remark that quickly drew attention.
“I said this when we came in and, I said, ‘I don't care what happens, I'm going to a meeting every day.’ I'm not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats,” Kennedy said during the episode.
The 72-year-old official explained that he has been sober for more than four decades and still attends daily recovery meetings. He told Von that during the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns, he organized what he described as a “pirate group” so recovering addicts could continue meeting despite restrictions.
“I know this disease will kill me if I don't treat it, which for me means going to meetings every day. It's just bad for my life. So, for me, it was survival,” he added.
Kennedy and Von also discussed the importance of the recovery community in maintaining sobriety. Kennedy’s struggles with addiction date back to his youth: he was arrested at 16 for marijuana possession and, at 30, was arrested in South Dakota for heroin possession, an incident that pushed him toward treatment.
His remarks about germs and past drug use come as Kennedy remains under scrutiny for his leadership at HHS. Since taking office under President Donald Trump, he has promoted his “Making America Healthy Again” platform, arguing that chronic disease in the United States is linked to environmental toxins, chemicals in food, and what he describes as systemic failures in medicine.
Medical experts, however, have raised alarms over several of his positions. Kennedy has long questioned vaccine safety, a stance widely rejected by leading health organizations, though he denies being anti-vaccine. While serving as HHS secretary, he dismissed a group of vaccine specialists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including its chief, and replaced them with individuals described as vaccine skeptics, prompting criticism from lawmakers and public health advocates.
He has also withdrawn contracts and cut $500 million in funding for 22 mRNA vaccine research projects. In addition, he eliminated a federal regulation encouraging hospitals to track and report staff vaccination levels.
Kennedy has previously suggested a link between vaccines and autism, a claim consistently debunked by large-scale scientific studies. He has also supported assertions connecting acetaminophen use during pregnancy with autism, a theory many researchers say relies on disputed evidence.
