Kennedy Jr.'s Shirtless Workouts Signal Political Masculinity, Scholars Say
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken his very public fitness regimen to a new level, teaming up with musician Kid Rock for a shirtless exercise bike ride in jeans, followed by weightlifting and milk drinking. The 90-second video, set to Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba" and featuring animations of sharks, military aircraft, and the U.S. flag, is the latest in a series of workout posts from Kennedy, who has previously engaged in push-up competitions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and pull-up challenges with the transportation secretary.
The Real Message: Displaying Ripped Male Bodies
According to sociologists and gender scholars, these displays are not merely about promoting health. They represent a calculated political message centered on hypermasculinity. "As ridiculous as these videos might seem, the messages about white nationalism and masculinity and the fact that the videos are produced by...and posted by the government, I think means we should take them very seriously," said Kristen Barber, a professor in women’s and gender studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Barber explained that the videos promote a very specific, limiting ideal of masculinity. Kennedy's shirtless workout, particularly striking given his age of 72—when men typically lose muscle mass—forces viewers to confront his muscular chest and biceps. This display, Barber noted, echoes actor Jack Palance's famous one-armed push-ups at the 1992 Academy Awards at age 73. In both cases, the excessiveness is the point: demonstrating strength to affirm masculinity despite age.
War-Ready Bodies and Political Ideology
The scholars argue that this hypermasculinity is tied to political ideology, particularly within the context of the Trump administration. "This male 'MAGA' body is about being war-ready," a gender scholar told HuffPost. Barber expanded on this, stating that the videos emphasize strength and potential aggression, historically used by groups like the Ku Klux Klan to push white nationalist ideas.
She connected this to current fears about the "feminization" of society through values like empathy and support for women and children. "These messages are suggesting that particular actions mean that particular people will be superior, healthier, stronger and more battle-ready," Barber said, adding that "this male 'MAGA' body is about being war-ready, whether it’s a race war, or a war on 'the woke.'"
Tristan Bridges, a sociologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, highlighted the seriousness of Kennedy's approach. Unlike the tongue-in-cheek tone of figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Old Spice commercials, Kennedy co-opts "satirical masculinities" but presents them seriously, which Bridges said makes it feel conservative.
Official Channels as Personal Locker Rooms
The use of official government channels for these displays is notable. While the U.S. faces international tensions, such as being on the brink of war with Iran, Hegseth filmed himself attempting to bench-press over 300 pounds, stating, "Gotta keep the butt down." Critics responded with comments like, "Bro, go do your job," but scholars argue that, in this administration, displaying physical prowess has become part of the job for cabinet officials.
Kennedy stated his collaboration with Kid Rock aimed "to deliver two simple messages to the American people: GET ACTIVE + EAT REAL FOOD." However, Barber suggested the underlying message is about trust and authority: "He might not have an M.D., he might not have a Ph.D, but man is he ripped, right? So he’s somebody that you can trust when it comes to conversations about health and wellness."
The Broader Context: Fitness and Political Polarization
This phenomenon occurs amid stark political divides in the U.S., where even fitness regimens have become politicized. Not all muscular bodies are "MAGA bodies," but in this climate, physical traits can be misinterpreted. For example, a 2025 New York Times headline described buff leftist streamer Hasan Piker as a "progressive mind in a MAGA body."
Historically, gyms have been spaces for political recruitment and preparation. A 2023 Jacobin article traced how German immigrants used gymnastics clubs in the early 1800s to promote anti-slavery and socialist messages. Today, fitness intersects with politics in various ways, from "swoletariats" discussing progressive goals to far-right "active clubs" training men for anti-immigration protests, as found in a 2025 Canadian Broadcast Company investigation.
Bridges summarized the trend: "When political polarization is as extreme as it has become in the United States, basically everything becomes some kind of evidence of your politics. I think bodies are part of this larger phenomenon where...it almost feels like you can judge someone’s politics by virtually any habit that they have."
Ultimately, Kennedy's workouts are more than personal fitness—they are a reflection of how hypermasculinity and physical display are being weaponized in today's political landscape, with implications for how strength, health, and ideology are perceived in a divided nation.
