RFK Jr.’s rejection of government-issued well being and security requirements goes far past his opposition to life-saving vaccinations, it seems. The failed politician, who’s president-elect Donald Trump’s decide for US secretary of well being and human companies, eschewed the official—and, frankly, frequent fucking sense—steering {that a} prepare dinner put on footwear whereas performing difficult duties within the kitchen. As a substitute, the proposed boss of American well being care opted for naked toes as he pulled a turkey dripping in boiling oil from a deep fryer whereas saying, “That is how we prepare dinner the MAHA method.”
All of it went down in a post revealed to Robert F. Kennedy’s X previously Twitter account Thursday, captioned with a easy “Pleased Thanksgiving,” adopted by a turkey emoji. Because the video started, RFK Jr. unwrapped a field of beef tallow—a rendered type of beef fats embraced by many cooks for the flavour it provides to dishes—then gestured to an adjoining deep-fryer the place extra of the fats bubbled. “That is beef tallow fats,” he mentioned redundantly, as he lowered a uncooked turkey into the oil, certainly one of three he had resting on a close-by cardboard field. “That is the harmful half,” he mentioned as his spouse, actor Cheryl Hines, cowered behind a bit of outside latticework.
“Honey, are you going to eat a few of this?” Kennedy requested Hines, who responded, “Um, no, I don’t eat turkey.” Kennedy chuckled in response as he continued to gaze into the effervescent, crackling oil. He didn’t clarify, if Hines refused to partake, simply who can be consuming the three turkeys he had lined up for his or her boiling baths.
Throughout that portion of the cooking demonstration, the political scion wore pretty sensible-looking hiking-style footwear. Certain, Occupational Security and Well being Administration rules require cooks on the job to put on safety-toe footwear with leather-based higher and oil-resistant soles, however who amongst us hasn’t eschewed skilled steering when at residence? If residence cooks such as you or I sometimes prepare dinner in trainers, it looks as if rather a lot to imagine a person who was credibly accused of sexual assault, engaged in beachfront whale decapitation, and staged a bear dying scene may comply with secure and smart steering.
However one other factor cooks—residence {and professional}—additionally know is that the true “harmful half” is when you’re eradicating your piping-hot dish from the stovetop, fryer, or oven. That’s why it appears so odd that within the second half of the video, which takes place after the turkey has fried for 40 minutes, Kennedy returns to elevate the dripping fowl in naked toes.
In response to the deep frying steering from the large fowl bosses at Butterball, the fats Kennedy was utilizing ought to have been heated to a comfortable 375 levels Fahrenheit. Liquids start to burn human pores and skin at 140 levels F, making this second within the cooking course of particularly harmful for RFK Jr.’s little piggies. (Hines was not seen partly two of the video—maybe she was taking this chance to test her partner’s telephone for errant texts.)
Kennedy is a longstanding opponent of seed oils for frying, and has vocally supported the usage of beef tallow as a more healthy various. Specialists are divided on this, with the usage of the (scrumptious to many) animal fats simply the most recent random factor to turn out to be weaponized in the MAGA culture war. As of publication time, nevertheless, all sides of the political continuum appear to agree that carrying footwear whereas working with harmful, boiling substances is a non-partisan concern. However who is aware of what the long run holds as Kennedy strives to remake America in his clearly cheap and wholesome picture?
