Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has his home state at his throat.
The Kennedy scion irked many in Massachusetts by declaring war on Dunkin’ iced coffee, a local staple, and announcing that he will force the coffee chain—and its top competitor, Starbucks—to prove their drinks are safe for a teenage girl to consume.
“We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it,’” Kennedy said at an event in Texas, according to the Boston Globe.
He added, “I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.”
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey responded to the news by sharing an image of Dunkin’ iced coffee and the words, “Come and take it.” It resembled the “Come and Take It” flag often flown in Texas, originating from the 1835 Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution.
Healey, a Democrat, was backed up by others in the commonwealth. Some users created a “Donut tread on me” banner that resembles the Gadsden flag.
It is unclear if Kennedy, 72, will follow through with his threat. The Department of Health and Human Services, which Kennedy leads, told the Daily Beast in an emailed statement that “Americans deserve to know what is in their food, and we are committed to ensuring that all ingredients added to the food supply are backed by rigorous science and safety, and are introduced through transparent processes.”
A spokesperson added that it would challenge the so-called “Generally Recognized as Safe loophole” that HHS alleges corporations abuse to skirt FDA approval or notification.
At the same event, organized by the outside political group MAHA Action, Kennedy said his department would remove certain ingredients from the market if they cannot be proven safe. He did not single out an ingredient in the chains’ flavored coffee that he views as problematic.
The Globe noted Dunkin’s nutrition facts show that some drinks offered contain more than 100 grams of sugar, including a large “Triple Mocha Frozen Coffee,” which boasts a whopping 165 grams. However, most drinks fall well below the figure cited by Kennedy, as a medium coffee with cream and sugar is listed as having 27 grams of sugar.
Neither the Massachusetts-based Dunkin’ nor Starbucks, which is based in Seattle, Washington, responded to a request for comment.
Kennedy rolled out new dietary guidelines in January, which administration officials have described as the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history.”
He said on Joe Rogan’s podcast last week that his policies have the full backing of Donald Trump, despite the president’s own diet being full of Diet Coke and fast food, which Kennedy has likened to “poison.”
As part of a push for Americans to eat more protein, the health secretary launched a “food tour” of the country last month, including a stop at an Austin BBQ joint. The trip quickly earned him criticism.
