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RFK Jr. responds to uproar after singling out Dunkin’ for sugary drinks
Kennedy’s criticism of the New England-based chain’s sugar-packed beverages prompted a quick response from Maura Healey.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a not-so-sweet response for Gov. Maura Healey’s defense of Dunkin’.
Kennedy targeted the Massachusetts-based coffee chain, along with Starbucks, at the Feb. 26 “Eat Real Food” rally. The event was held in Austin, Texas to promote a health agenda that prioritizes “whole, nutrient-dense foods over highly processed alternatives.”
“We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it,’” Kennedy told the audience. “I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.”
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Healey, who previously promoted the brand in a political stunt spoofing the “DunKings” Super Bowl commercial, was quick to clap back. Resharing a Boston Globe article about Kennedy’s comments, she replied on X with a meme goading him to “come and take it.”
Kennedy, however, took the opportunity to clarify his comments. Replying to Healey’s post, he asserted that it’s not a war on Dunkin’ he’s waging: it’s a war on sugar.
“No one is taking away your Dunkin’,” Kennedy said on X. “But isn’t it reasonable to ask whether a drink loaded with 180 grams of sugar is safe?”
Boston.com readers said they agree with Kennedy — albeit by quite a slim margin. Among 770 readers who responded to our poll, 396 of them agreed, and 382 of them disagreed.
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In any case, people online have pounced on the moment to play on how ferociously some New Englanders will defend their morning (or afternoon, or evening, or midnight) brew. It’s spawned a slew of memes referencing the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution.
“Maybe this regime needs to remember we take drinks VERY SERIOUSLY in New England,” one X user wrote.
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