Are Steroids The Dirty Secret To RFK Jr.'s Rock-Hard Abs? Inside The Rumors

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might be 70 years old, but you wouldn't know it if you only saw his abs. The life-long politician has raised eyebrows countless times over the past few years, for everything from claiming to have been infected with a brain worm to rumored extramarital affairs to spreading COVID-19 and anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. Now, however, because of his impressive abs, Kennedy is the focus of a few conspiracy theories online –- namely, theories suggesting he's been using steroids to build his ripped physique.

Social media has been flooded with users speculating that Kennedy has been using steroids, often alongside shirtless photos of the man, or videos of him lifting weights or exercising. One post to X (formerly Twitter) shows a photo of Kennedy, allegedly from over a decade ago, where his abs and overall muscle mass appears to be significantly lower, and the user suggests it seems impossible for him to appear so ripped now without the use of steroids. However, Kennedy claims that he hasn't used any anabolic steroids at all.

"I'm on an anti-aging protocol from my doctor that includes testosterone replacement," Kennedy said during an interview on the "Lex Fridman Podcast" in July 2023. "I don't take any anabolic steroids or anything like that, and the TRT use is bioidentical to what my body produces." Kennedy also told Newsmax last year (via Inside Edition) that he takes a "big fistful of nutrients," which help supplement his intensive workout routines and intermittent fasting to maximize the results of his fitness efforts.

If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was simply an impressively jacked 70-year-old man who shared workout videos on social media for fun, it's unlikely too many people would have a problem with it. However, the former presidential candidate was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The nomination was particularly shocking for many who have listened to interviews with Kennedy over the past few decades -– and not just because of his alleged use of steroids, but for his admitted use of heroin to self-medicate for undiagnosed ADHD. "I was at the bottom of my class, I started doing heroin, I went to the top of my class. Suddenly, I could sit still and read," Kennedy said during an episode of the "Shawn Ryan Show" podcast that dropped in June 2024 (via Newsweek).

Kennedy did not, however, outright advocate heroin use, stating that the illegal narcotic "begins exacting a cost and ... then the cost gets worse and worse." However, that hasn't stopped his critics from trolling him on social media for his remarks on heroin use, as well as past controversial comments he's made promoting the drinking of raw, unpasteurized milk, despite the scientifically proven associated health risks. One way or the other, it's clear that online critics will continue to have fodder for future critiques once Kennedy steps into his upcoming HHS role.