UMVA has learned that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. staged a daring rattlesnake rescue after a wave of online criticism over his earlier snake‑handling escapade.
The new footage opens with Kennedy perched at his desk, a startled voice warning him of a serpent slithering across the driveway. “Hold on, guys. I’ll be back in a flash,” he quips, snatching a bucket and a small net before sprinting outdoors.
With steady hands, he scoops up a Western Diamondback rattlesnake, its glossy scales catching the afternoon light. Bystanders gasp, their eyes fixed on the perilous dance between man and venomous reptile.
Cradling the creature in the bucket, Kennedy lifts it toward the camera, pointing out the distinctive rings at the tail. “His fangs are in there. I don’t want to touch them,” he warns, reverence evident in his tone. “This is a beautiful snake.”
He summons his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, who hands him a pillowcase. Together they transport the rattlesnake back to the wild, releasing it with a careful flick of the wrist.
The Instagram post was a direct rebuttal to the uproar sparked by a previous video in which Kennedy seized two black racer snakes with his bare hands on Dr. Mehmet Oz’s patio, prompting Hines to shriek, “Honey, honey… why?”
In that earlier clip, the snakes lunged and bit his hands, while Kennedy laughed, “Black snakes, they’re biting me,” and Hines pleaded, “Bobby, please!” The incident ignited a firestorm of concern over the secretary’s willingness to confront dangerous wildlife.
Black racer snakes, while non‑venomous, are known to bite when threatened, a fact that added fuel to the controversy. By contrast, the Western Diamondback captured on Wednesday carries potent venom, raising the stakes of the rescue.
Social media users quickly questioned whether the HHS chief was needlessly risking his safety—and possibly that of the public—by handling such a lethal animal without professional assistance.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the episode underscores a growing tension between personal bravado and the responsibilities of a public official tasked with safeguarding health and safety.
