RFK Jr.’s barnyard ringtone interrupts White House MAHA briefing, sparks laughs

White House press briefing briefly interrupted by RFK Jr.'s duck ringtone, drawing laughs

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s duck phone ringtone went off during a MAHA-focused White House press briefing Jan. 7, 2025, sparking laughter from reporters.

A White House press briefing focused on Make America Healthy Again policies briefly paused Wednesday when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s phone went off, showcasing a duck-quacking ringtone. 

"I'm sorry," Kennedy said as he paused his remarks at the White House press briefing's podium as he silenced his phone. His ringtone blared ducks quacking, sparking jokes from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and laughter from reporters. 

Kennedy joined the press briefing flanked by other health leaders within the administration to unveil new dietary guidelines focused on Americans eating "real foods" and not ultra-processed meals. The move is aimed at addressing chronic disease and childhood illnesses. 

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s duck-quacking ringtone briefly interrupted the press briefing Jan. 7, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

As Kennedy's phone rang out with ducks quacking, Rollins quipped: "Duck is also high in protein. Duck is a good thing to eat, everybody."

The press briefing broke out into chuckles before Kennedy got back to business and continued discussing his team's MAHA efforts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's overhaul of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, which reduces the number of routine immunizations recommended for children.

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Kennedy is an environmental lawyer and self-avowed lover of nature. Before his confirmation to serve in the federal government, Kennedy was well-known on social media for posting videos showing off wild critters he came across on hikes in Southern California or videos showing off his falconry skills. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hikes with one of his two Gordon setters, Ronan, in the Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles, March 18, 2024.  (Mike Blake/Reuters)

The press conference unveiled an updated, inverted food pyramid built on meat, fats, fruits and vegetables. While whole grains are now at the narrow bottom of the inverted pyramid. 

"The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs," Kennedy said. "Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats."

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins at the White House, Jan. 7, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press)

Kennedy added that if foreign adversaries wanted to throttle and weaken the U.S., they'd "addict us to ultra-processed foods."

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"If a foreign adversary sought to destroy the health of our children, cripple our economy, to weaken our national security, there would be no better strategy than to addict us to ultra-processed foods," he said.