Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says President Donald Trump regularly eats McDonald’s while traveling aboard Air Force One due to concerns over food safety.
“President Trump actually likes to eat really good food most of the time. But when he’s traveling, he likes to eat food from national chains because he’s scared of getting food poisoning,” Kennedy told podcast host John Crist.
Kennedy described seeing “boxes and boxes of McDonald's" on Trump’s aircraft on a regular basis.
When Kennedy was asked whether he “corrected” Trump’s eating habits, he responded by saying he prefers not to “be a scold.”
Trump’s long-standing fondness for fast food is well-documented. The president has also previously publicly discussed his preference for McDonald’s, citing its consistency and cleanliness. In October 2024, Trump himself served McDonald's customers at a drive-through in Pennsylvania during his presidential campaign.
Kennedy also said Trump prefers to drink Diet Coke.
“You know, there are some people who can just eat anything,” Kennedy said. “They’re called ‘super-agers.’ President Trump is one of those,” adding that Trump has more energy than anyone he has ever met.
Kennedy distinguished Trump’s travel meals from the food available to him at locations such as the White House and Mar-a-Lago, where, he said, the president has access to fresher foods and locally sourced produce.
Kennedy himself maintains an active lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise, frequently sharing personal examples of how he stays fit.
During the podcast, Kennedy also said that "nobody knows how to cook anymore," saying he encourages healthy, at-home cooking. He noted that he works on a weekly show with Chef Andrew Gruel on how to make healthy meals at home for less than five dollars a portion.
As that nation’s top health official, Kennedy has promoted the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which focuses on issues including ultra-processed foods, chronic disease, and the ingredients used in the American food supply.
As part of the MAHA initiative, the Trump administration has reshaped federal nutrition guidelines and has taken steps to reduce and eventually eliminate several petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply.
The Trump administration has also approved 18 state waivers to restrict unhealthy items from purchase with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).