‘Then he got a taste for their boots’: RFK Jr. once viewed MAGA supporters as ‘belligerent idiots’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wasn’t always a staunch ally of Trump or his supporters.

As unearthed by CNN, in 2016, on his Ring of Fire radio show, RFK Jr. applauded and agreed with vicious remarks someone else had made against Trump supporters. The remarks involved MAGA supporters being called “belligerent idiots” who had fallen prey to opportunists. He quoted journalist Matt Taibbi, saying, “We may not have many outright Nazis in America, but we have many cowards and bootlickers. And once those fleshy dominoes are tumbling to the Trump camp, the game is up.” RFK Jr. said these words were “beautifully” written.

RFK Jr. was correct about this critique but hasn’t made any similarly abrasive comments since he endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential election. The Republicans against Trump X account shared an audio clip of RFK Jr.’s interview with Taibbi (though the context of their post is misleading, as they weren’t RFK Jr.’s own words, even if he did agree with them). Those who’ve listened to the recording were surprised that RFK Jr. was so engaged with that critique but were also disappointed. As one X user pointed out, “Then he got a taste for their boots.”

Others mocked RFK Jr. for his hypocrisy. Another user commented, “The only thing worse than an outright Nazi is a coward who bows to them instead of resisting them.”

RFK Jr. becomes a turncoat

RFK Jr. claims to regret his former comments against Donald Trump. He now believes that the media has distorted Trump’s image. In a statement, he said, “Like many Americans, I allowed myself to believe the mainstream media’s distorted, dystopian portrait of President Trump. I no longer hold this belief and now regret having made those statements.”

People’s opinions can shift over time, but this significant shift is clearly about greed, power, and political alliances. After all, Trump and RFK Jr. formed a coalition instead of fighting further in the 2024 presidential race. RFK Jr. had more to gain from allying with Trump, as Trump would later promise RFK Jr. control over several public health agencies. True to Trump’s word, RFK Jr. is now his pick for Health Secretary. The boot doesn’t taste good, but power does.