Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has posted a new snake-handling video after criticism over an earlier clip showing him grabbing two black racer snakes with his bare hands. The new Instagram video was framed as a response to the backlash and showed what Kennedy Jr. described as a recent rattlesnake rescue with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines.
The post carried the caption, “In response to the many comments about venomous snakes, this video shows how Cheryl and I handled a recent rattlesnake rescue.” In the clip, Kennedy Jr. is first seen in his home office before someone tells him there is a snake in the driveway, prompting him to grab a bucket and a small net and head outside.
A closer look at the rattlesnake rescue
Once outside, Kennedy Jr. carefully approaches the snake while bystanders react with surprise. He then scoops it up, places it in a bucket and later pins it behind the head before lifting it toward the camera to explain what kind of reptile it is.
“His fangs are in there. I don’t want to touch them,” he says in the video. “This is a beautiful snake. This is a Western Diamondback. You can tell by these rings at the end of his tail.”
Kennedy Jr. then asks Hines to bring him a pillowcase before the snake is transported and released back into the wild. The Instagram video appears to be aimed at answering concerns raised after the earlier snake clip circulated widely online.
Why the earlier video drew attention
The backlash began after Kennedy Jr. shared a separate video on X showing him handling two black North American racer snakes on Dr. Mehmet Oz’s patio. In that footage, Hines could be heard reacting in alarm as Kennedy Jr. moved toward the snakes.
“Honey, honey … why?” Hines yelled as he cornered the reptiles. Kennedy Jr. then lifted both by their tails after repeatedly being bitten on the hands, while saying, “Black snakes, they’re biting me,” with a smile.
He later posted the clip with the caption, “Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr Oz’s patio.” According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, black racer snakes are nonvenomous and generally harmless to humans, although they will “readily bite to defend themselves.”
Venomous snake handling raises new questions
The contrast between the two videos has drawn renewed attention because Wednesday’s Instagram post featured a venomous Western Diamondback rattlesnake, while the earlier video involved nonvenomous black racers. That difference has led some social media users to question whether Kennedy Jr. was taking unnecessary risks while handling snakes by hand.
The new clip tries to show a more controlled approach, with a bucket, a net and a pillowcase used during the rescue and release. Even so, the video adds another layer to the online debate over Kennedy Jr.’s snake-handling style, which has now become a topic of public scrutiny alongside the original incident at Dr. Oz’s home.
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