We Get It Rfk Jr: You Have Abs. Now Enough With The Slopaganda | Arwa Mahdawi

Vladimir Putin loves bombing Ukraine and taking his garment disconnected – not needfully successful that order. The Russian leader is good known for his macho photoshoots, including that infamous changeable of him horse-riding bare-chested successful Siberia. While various politicians have mocked Putin for his posing, others person been taking notes. And by others I mean Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has spent a ample information of his clip successful authorities spamming societal media pinch increasingly weird footage of him moving out.

In 2023, erstwhile Kennedy ran for president, he posted a video of himself doing shirtless push-ups successful an quiet car parkland arsenic mentation for his statement pinch Joe Biden – bizarrely, he was wearing bluish jeans for nan stunt. Now that Kennedy is nan US wellness secretary, nan videos are coming astatine a faster clip.

In August, he was filmed doing a workout pinch nan caput of defence, Pete Hegseth, which they called “the Pete and Bobby challenge”. Kennedy kept his garment connected for that one, but nan jeans were back. A mates of months later, this clip successful a suit, Kennedy did a pull-up competition successful Reagan National airdrome pinch nan US carrier secretary. This was successful work of a caller inaugural to move airports into wellness spaces. This sounds lovely, but location are alternatively much pressing things to attraction on. Like making judge airdrome workers, galore of whom are missing a paycheck because of nan existent partial authorities shutdown, tin salary their bills.

In February, Kennedy teamed up pinch nan Maga vocalist Kid Rock for a 90-second video which featured, inter alia, nan brace moving retired successful a sauna. Kennedy (in nan no-shirt and bluish jeans combo) was pedalling furiously connected an workout motorcycle while Kid Rock (swimming trunks) was doing push-ups. Again, this was in a sauna. Kennedy has already had a parasite successful his brain; is he looking for immoderate benignant of fungal infection, too? Later successful nan video, Kennedy gets successful a acold plunge pinch his jeans connected earlier he and Kid Rock portion full (and presumably raw) beverage successful a basking tub.

Then, connected Sunday, Kennedy posted an AI video successful which, shirtless and wearing agency shoes, he wrestles a Twinkie. Yeah, I know, I did a double-take arsenic good erstwhile I first saw nan headline. A Twinkie, for nan use of readers not good versed successful American highly processed food, is simply a phallic-looking barroom filled pinch cream. The Twinkie whitethorn beryllium a unsocial touch, but Kennedy is hardly different successful posting AI slop: nan Trump management is memeing its measurement done nan Iran war and is obsessed pinch AI slopaganda.

Anyway, I deliberation we’ve each sewage nan connection by now: Kennedy has abs. He is simply a 72-year-old nepo baby pinch weird views connected modern medicine and a muscly chest. Congratulations! Maybe 1 time Fifa tin springiness him a prize like his boss, Donald Trump. But for now possibly he could extremity pinch nan videos and possibly commencement focusing connected nan truth that measles cases are soaring successful nan US?

This is partly because of accrued vaccine scepticism, which Kennedy has helped stoke. One paediatrician I cognize told maine doctors now walk truthful overmuch clip talking to vaccine-hesitant parents that US security companies person conscionable brought successful new billing codes to guarantee they get paid for that time. (This whitethorn beryllium difficult for British readers to understand, but US security companies guarantee each azygous infinitesimal pinch your healthcare supplier tin beryllium monetised.)

Or maybe, if curbing bales is excessively overmuch to ask, Kennedy could do thing astir making patient nutrient successful nan US cheaper, arsenic portion of his “eat existent food” initiative. So far, each he seems to person done connected that beforehand is counsel group not to bargain steak. At a caller Maha (make America patient again) conference, Kennedy noted helpfully that while porterhouse is pricey: “You tin bargain liver aliases nan cheaper cuts of steak that are very, very affordable.”

Talk astir the enshittification of everything. We can’t moreover person breadstuff and circuses to support america placated immoderate more. Instead, we get liver and Twinkie wrestling.

Arwa Mahdawi is simply a Guardian columist