Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And entertainer Kid Rock released a 90-second workout video on Tuesday, prompting commentary from late-night television host Stephen Colbert, who described the clip as “pure cinema.”
The video, posted on X as part of a “Produce America Healthy” campaign, features Kennedy, 72, and Rock, 55, exercising together in jeans, including scenes in a sauna and culminating in relaxation in a hot tub. The pair are similarly shown eating a large plate of steak and sauerkraut, performing bicep curls, and using a pull-down machine. At one point, they flip off the camera while riding stationary bikes in the sauna. The video is set to Kid Rock’s song “Bawitdaba.”
Colbert reacted to the video on Wednesday’s “Late Night,” calling it “an unexpected offering” and comparing it to “senior soft-core.” He specifically questioned Kennedy’s choice of denim over traditional workout attire, joking that the jeans appeared to be “action figure legs that never come off.”
The video concludes with Kennedy and Rock drinking whole milk, a detail Colbert used to suggest Kennedy was attempting to fatten Rock “to eat.” He also likened the video’s overall surreal quality to “dropping acid at a Cracker Barrel and making a PowerPoint presentation.”
The New Republic reported that the video is formally affiliated with the Department of Health and Human Services, displaying the agency’s logo alongside Kennedy’s campaign slogan, “Make America Healthy Again.”
Kennedy’s health recommendations have previously drawn scrutiny. During a measles outbreak in Texas last year, he declined to endorse the measles vaccine, instead suggesting vitamins as a preventative measure, according to The New Republic.
As of Thursday, a clip of Colbert’s commentary on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel had garnered 2.4 million views, with additional clips circulating on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, collectively reaching millions of viewers.
