Fox News host Jesse Watters concluded his Monday interview with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by asking if he would “leave the raccoons alone,” alluding to a bizarre report about Kennedy’s past encounter with a dead raccoon. Kennedy appeared on “Jesse Watters Primetime” to discuss President Donald Trump’s executive order on regenerative farming and the return of the Presidential Fitness Test, but Watters steered the conversation toward the unusual anecdote.
Watters Puts RFK Jr. on the Spot
Watters’ question referenced a story from the biography “RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise” by Isabel Vincent. According to the book, in 2001, Kennedy discovered a dead raccoon on the side of Interstate 684 and severed its penis for study. In a diary entry quoted by Vincent, Kennedy wrote: “I was standing in front of my parked car on I-684 cutting the penis out of a road killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be. My kids waited patiently in the car.”
During the Fox interview, Kennedy responded to Watters’ query with a simple “Yes. For the moment,” as captured in a clip posted on social media by Acyn.
Vincent Explains Kennedy’s Actions
Speaking to The Independent in April, Vincent offered context for Kennedy’s behavior. “You have to understand, Bobby wanted to be a veterinarian as a kid. His after-school job was at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “So he’s got a great love and interest in animals and a freezer full of roadkill, I’m sure, where he studies it.” Despite the media attention, Kennedy has neither confirmed nor denied the incident. When TMZ asked him in April about the raccoon’s penis and its whereabouts, he simply chuckled and walked away.
Kennedy’s Vague Assurance
Kennedy’s comment to Watters that raccoons are safe “for the moment” leaves room for speculation. The HHS secretary has not issued any formal statement on the matter. The exchange has generated significant buzz online, with many viewers unfamiliar with the backstory finding Watters’ question puzzling.
