US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) is no stranger to controversy before, during, and after he became a part of the Trump administration. However, it appears the old man is unfazed and can even be seen casually walking out of a tanning salon in Washington DC, after a tanning session, something that raised many eyebrows in disagreement. That’s because tanning salons and beds are known to cause skin cancer.
Based on the most recent viral footage, RFK Jr. visited a tanning salon near the White House called Palm Beach Tan in 3418 Connecticut Ave., Washington DC around June 17. A civilian inside their car just casually saw RFK Jr. walk out of Palm Beach Tan and started filming; the Trump cabinet member even had his full squad of bodyguards, just in case.
While RFK Jr.’s obsession with tanning did exist prior to the Trump administration, his continued patronage of tanning beds and salons has drawn the ire of many US citizens. Many studies have proven that tanning salons and beds can significantly increase the risk of skin cancer, and even just a single visit or session is dangerous enough.
For RFK Jr., this hobby normally wouldn’t draw critical attention, but he’s now serving as the Secretary of Health while still exposing himself (and possibly promoting) to increased risk of skin cancer. Thus, many of RFK Jr.’s critics have judged the man as incompetent in his government duties for missing or ignoring something as dangerous as skin cancer and its causes.
Other Blatant Incidents of Disregard for Health
Apart from the increased risk of skin cancer due to obsessive and frequent tanning, just to maintain a certain complexion, RFK Jr. has also constantly displayed previous conflicts of interest in his job, such as bathing in a contaminated Washington DC creek full of infectious pathogens and fecal matter, and also an anti-vaccine bias.
Some people on the subreddit clip, however, hope that RFK Jr. continues tanning himself in tanning salons as it is only his health he’s risking anyway. Others have accused him of trying to copy President Donald Trump’s skin color, whom many suggested also uses tanning beds and even a fake tan spray.
The notion is something people found ironic since the Trump administration’s policies about immigration are something many consider as hostile to people with darker skin color. In any case, US citizens living in Washington DC might see more of RFK Jr. going in and out of Palm Beach Tan, hopefully only during his lunch breaks.
“Insane how much this administration hates brown people when they’re all desperate to look like them,” argues AcanthaceaeEqual4286
“Yeah definitely well-informed and cares about health /s,” suggests DrFranFine
“Pretty insane that the government’s highest ranking health official is intentionally giving himself skin cancer,” points out Tdluxon
“Cuz tanning salons are safe but vaccinations aren’t???,” says No-Bumblebee-4920