RFK Jr. – A viral clip shows U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. grabbing two non-venomous black racer snakes bare-handed on the patio of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. Herpetologists say the species is
A video posted Tuesday showed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bare-handedly wrangling two snakes, and it spread fast—drawing joy from some viewers, incredulity from others, and concern from people who study reptiles.
In the clip, the U.S. health secretary grabbed the tails of two non-venomous black racer snakes. He posted the clip on his personal social media accounts, saying in the caption that he was removing the snakes from the patio of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
The internet reactions were immediate. In the video, the snakes bite in the direction of Kennedy’s fingers as Oz asks questions about what is happening. Kennedy’s wife, actress Cheryl Hines, can be heard saying “Why?” and telling her husband to let them go.
Herpetologists said the species shown is largely harmless to humans, even if it bites. But they warned that the bigger risk is what people can do to the animals during handling.
Bonnie Keller, a herpetologist and former board member of the Virginia Herpetological Society, said, “That is not how I would handle the snakes, but I’m a trained professional.”
Sean McKnight. director of programs at the nonprofit Rattlesnake Conservancy. said the public should limit how long people handle any kind of wildlife because it can “potentially stress out the animals more than needed.” He also said people should avoid grabbing snakes by the tails. as Kennedy does in the video. because it can cause injuries to their spines.
The snake clip is the latest wildlife encounter Kennedy has shared publicly. Earlier this month, he posted a snapshot of himself holding a bird in his enclosed hand, saying it was a rescue of a starling at Dulles Airport in northern Virginia.
In 2024. while running for president. he posted a video of himself using a small net and a trowel to capture a rattlesnake in his California driveway. In that video, he secures the venomous snake in his bare hands and displays its fangs to the camera. McKnight said he doesn’t advise anyone to handle rattlesnakes like that. citing that there is “no way to restrain them safely with your hands.”.
Kennedy has also drawn criticism for another animal-related episode. In 2024. he faced backlash after admitting that he took a bear carcass from the side of the road and placed it in Central Park as a prank in 2014. He said at the time that he had been picking up roadkill his “whole life” and once had a “freezer full of it” at home. His campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear—now a top adviser at the nation’s health department—said roadkill was how Kennedy. a longtime falconer. fed his birds.
The new video leaves many viewers stuck on the same moment: two snakes pressed toward his hands. and a request from Hines to let them go. For herpetologists. the dispute isn’t about the black racers’ danger—it’s about the method. and what stress and tail-grabbing can do to an animal that never agreed to be handled.
RFK Jr. black racer snakes Dr. Mehmet Oz Cheryl Hines herpetologist Bonnie Keller Rattlesnake Conservancy Sean McKnight Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dulles Airport starling Central Park bear prank