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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn May 2026, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared a video of himself handling two black racer snakes at Mehmet Oz’s patio. Kennedy is now the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services—not merely someone who wants the job—and the snake video is the latest in a series of unusual animal stories involving him.
What happened in the 2026 snake video?
In a May 26, 2026 report, the Associated Press described video Kennedy shared showing him grabbing two black racer snakes by their tails at the patio of Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. His wife, Cheryl Hines, can be heard telling him to let them go.
Black racers are nonvenomous and are described as largely harmless to people, even if they bite. That does not make handling them a good idea. Herpetologists cautioned that handling stresses snakes and that grabbing them by the tail can injure their spines. Bonnie Keller, a herpetologist and former Virginia Herpetological Society board member, said, “That is not how I would handle the snakes, but I’m a trained professional.”
Sean McKnight, director of programs at the Rattlesnake Conservancy, said people should minimize handling wildlife to avoid “potentially stressing out the animals more than needed.” The practical takeaway for readers is simple: leave wild snakes alone, and contact qualified local help if one needs to be removed. The video is not a model for safe snake handling.
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Other recent animal encounters
A starling at Dulles Airport
In May 2026, Kennedy posted a photo of himself holding a starling in an enclosed hand. He described it as a rescue at Dulles Airport in northern Virginia; that account is his own description of what happened.
A rattlesnake in his driveway
In 2024, while running for president, Kennedy posted video of himself using a small net and trowel to capture a rattlesnake in his California driveway. He then held the snake and showed its fangs. McKnight said he does not advise people to handle rattlesnakes that way because they cannot be safely restrained by hand.
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The Central Park bear story
Kennedy acknowledged that in 2014 he took a bear that had been killed by a motorist from the roadside and left it in New York’s Central Park with a bicycle as a prank. He said he had planned to skin and eat the bear but changed plans. The bear was road-killed; Kennedy did not claim to have killed it himself.
What is known about the whale-head account?
An Associated Press backgrounder reported that a federal law-enforcement agency opened an investigation after Kennedy allegedly cut off the head of a dead whale and took it home. The National Marine Fisheries Service ended the probe a short time later. The account is an allegation in the reporting, not a finding that Kennedy committed wrongdoing.
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What did Kennedy say about the charred animal photo?
The AP backgrounder also reported that Kennedy denied eating a dog after a friend shared a photo with Vanity Fair showing him preparing to bite a charred animal. Kennedy said the animal was a goat. His denial and explanation should be kept together; the photo alone does not establish that it was a dog.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How his sister described his childhood interest in animals
On CNN on June 15, 2026, Kerry Kennedy recalled that her brother’s interest in nature began in childhood. She said he took her to catch snakes, frogs, and salamanders. She also recalled him arriving at her daughter’s birthday party with a snake in a pillowcase while holding his infant son, and later showing the snake to children.
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Those childhood details are Kerry Kennedy’s recollection, not an independently established account. In the same interview, she described her brother as having “a fascination with nature” and “a lack of judgment when it comes to the safety and care of children.” Those are her opinions about the story she recounted.
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