Future US Health Secretary cautiously eats fast food with Trump

Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy flew with President-elect Donald Trump on a private jet to attend the UFC match in New York on November 16, along with billionaire Elon Musk and Donald Jr., the President-elect's eldest son.

Four men sit in front of McDonald's food trays, in a photo posted by Donald Jr. on social media on November 17 (local time), with the caption: "The 'Make America Healthy Again' campaign starts tomorrow."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a member of a prominent Democratic political family, and he and President-elect Trump campaigned together on a pledge to tackle processed foods and other health priorities.

“For too long, Americans have been ripped off by the food industry and the drug companies,” Trump said when announcing his nomination for Kennedy on November 14.

On social media, many commented that Mr Kennedy seemed the least excited of the four, as he cautiously held a burger box, along with fries and a bottle of Coca-Cola in front of him.

Kennedy, 70, a known vaccine skeptic, has long argued that the United States needs to control the obesity epidemic by reducing the amount of sugar, fat and processed foods loaded with additives in the national diet.

In a podcast published last week, Mr Kennedy strongly criticised President-elect Trump's diet, saying "the stuff he eats is really bad".

“Campaign food is always bad, and the food that comes on (Trump’s) plane is just poison,” Kennedy said on the Joe Polish podcast. “But you don’t have a choice. You’re either served KFC or McDonald’s.”

Mr Trump has never hidden his love of fast food, and he even worked briefly at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania in October during his campaign.

Mr Kennedy needs to be confirmed by the US Senate to take up the position of health secretary. Some senior Republicans have expressed concerns about his suitability for the position.