Health and Human Services Secretary’s Snake Encounter Goes Viral

On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared a video on his X account where he can be seen grabbing a pair of black North American racer snakes. His wife, Cheryl Hines, appears quite startled by the spectacle.

“Honey, honey…why?” Hines exclaimed as Kennedy Jr. approached the snake on the patio.

In a swift move, Kennedy Jr. crouched down and, after a brief tussle, caught the snake by its tail.

In the roughly 50-second clip, the snake bites Kennedy Jr. several times, but he seems unbothered. “The black snake is biting me,” he said, revealing a hint of amusement on his face.

Cheryl, meanwhile, couldn’t contain her worries. “You’re crazy,” she yelled, as Kennedy Jr. displayed what he considered a trophy.

“Bobby, please! Bobby, Bobby, please,” Hines pleaded, visibly anxious at her husband’s antics.

Kennedy Jr. seemed to relish the moment, later posting a photo from the event. It’s likely not the first time Hines has seen her husband wrestling with wildlife; he has a documented reputation for interacting with various animals.

In addition to his interest in falconry, Kennedy Jr. has had quite a history with different creatures. Not long ago, a story made waves about him allegedly abandoning a bear carcass in Central Park.

In another bizarre incident, he supposedly tied the head of a dead whale to his car and drove from a beach in Massachusetts to Mount Kisco, New York.

In the video, Kennedy Jr. was bitten multiple times, but snakes like the North American racer are actually non-toxic. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, while these snakes might bite when threatened, they aren’t harmful to humans. The museum notes that most bites occur due to unintended provocation.