‘He must step down’: US Health Secretary RFK Jr’s ‘snorting cocaine off toilet seats’ remark sparks backlash

Health group demands RFK Jr resign after podcast remark

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing mounting criticism after remarks about his past drug use during a podcast appearance triggered outrage among health groups and political figures.

Speaking on comedian Theo Von’s podcast, This Past Weekend, Kennedy said, “I’m not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.” The comment quickly drew sharp reactions, with critics calling it inappropriate for the head of a major public-health agency.

Discussion on addiction and recovery

During the conversation, Kennedy spoke at length about his decades-long struggle with substance abuse and recovery. Now 72, he said he has remained sober for more than 40 years and recalled first experimenting with drugs shortly after the 1968 assassination of his father, former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

He also described attending recovery meetings regularly, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “I said, ‘I don’t care what happens, I’m going to a meeting every day.’”

Kennedy added, “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.”

Health groups demand resignation

Healthcare advocacy group Protect Our Care criticised the remarks and called on Kennedy to step down, saying his statements showed he was unfit to lead the department.

The group’s president Brad Woodhouse responded with a one-word message: “Resign.”

The organisation said, “With his statement today that ‘I’m not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats,’ Trump HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to lay bare why he is the most dangerous, in over his head, ill-suited person ever to lead such an important federal agency that has life-and-death power.”

Previous vaccine controversies resurface

The backlash also revived scrutiny of Kennedy’s past positions on vaccines and public health policy. He has repeatedly criticised COVID-19 vaccines and mandates, previously describing them as unnecessary and inappropriate in certain cases.

Critics argue that such remarks undermine confidence in the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees national health policy and crisis response.

HHS addiction initiatives

In the same interview, Kennedy discussed efforts to address addiction through early intervention and long-term treatment support. Referring to a pilot programme, he said:

“HHS is delivering on our promise to the American people for a healthier, brighter future. Through this pilot program, we are launching a comprehensive, integrated care model that not only cures [hepatitis C virus] but also tackles critical risk factors like substance use, mental health challenges, and homelessness head-on.”