Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has always pushed the envelope, especially when it comes to his views on vaccines. But now he’s stirring the pot again — this time with his choice of hiking attire. Yes, that’s right, he hit the trails wearing jeans.
On a scorching Saturday, Kennedy, who’s currently serving as U.S. Health Secretary, decided to tackle Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. Even though temperatures were hovering around 90°F (32°C) in the morning, they soared to a sweltering 107°F (41°C) later that same day. No doubt, it was a tough mountain hike — especially in dark blue jeans!
Many fellow hikers were taken aback by the choice. “It was around 92°F at one point, which makes his hiking effort pretty impressive at his age,” said Matt Larson, another hiker who crossed paths with Kennedy. He remembered thinking to himself, “That wouldn’t be my go-to gear for hiking in this heat, but then again, it’s probably a sign of his generation.” Although Larson appreciated the chance to meet Kennedy, he also pointed out that the heat can be risky for those not used to it.
Social media didn’t hold back either. One user on X (formerly Twitter) quipped, “Bro is out here hiking that damn mountain in jeans and 110+ weather!?” Another user humorously questioned, “Jeans? Phoenix? July?!?”
Phoenix is notoriously famous for its brutal heat, and recent years have seen some record-breaking temperatures. This increase is largely attributed to the climate crisis, which affects the entire United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — the governing body handling health issues Kennedy oversees — advises folks to hydrate, take it slow, and opt for lightweight, light-colored clothing during extreme heat. After all, heat is one of the leading weather-related dangers in America, with around 2,300 people losing their lives to excessive heat just this year.
Kennedy has shown a clear fondness for jeans, often opting for them in various situations. Recently, he was caught on camera doing a gym workout shirtless while still rocking jeans — not a common sight, to say the least!
Earlier this May, he made headlines again by wading through a contaminated creek in Washington while sporting jeans and going topless. In online posts, he even shared snapshots of him playing with his grandkids in that very water, fully submerged!
This Rock Creek area isn’t just any waterway; it suffers from high levels of contamination, including E. coli, stemming from sewage runoff, which has led officials to prohibit swimming for health safety. Not the best playground pick for the grandkids, one might say!
Kennedy is no stranger to peculiar outdoor activities. In the past, he revealed that a parasitic worm had invaded his brain, while before joining the Trump administration, he once strapped a dead whale to his car roof! There was even the time he accidentally killed a baby bear and left it in New York City’s Central Park, pretending it had been in an accident — you can’t make this stuff up.
The health department has yet to respond to inquiries about his hiking outfit choice.
