Foul-Smelling Diet Sweeps Through Trump’s Cabinet Room
RFK Jr. has managed to convince other top officials to gorge on potent fermented foods to help lose weight.

Animated GIF by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty Images
Several members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet are following a diet that involves eating vast quantities of sauerkraut.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are all stuffing their faces with the potent German delicacy as part of a desperate bid to shed the pounds, The Wall Street Journal reports.
In addition to sauerkraut, the diet put together by Dr. Sean O’Mara also involves eating fermented foods such as kimchi and grass-fed steak and abstaining from alcohol and sugary foods.
RFK. Jr considers food recommendations and vaccine skepticism his main priorities as health secretary.
REUTERS
Kennedy, who is spearheading the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda, was the first to go on the diet before convincing the other leading Cabinet officials.
The stench coming from the food being consumed by Kennedy and Vance et al is said to be causing some “domestic friction,” according to the Journal.
While not confirming who is actually among his patients, O’Mara said that he prefers to “work with older people because the ROI is so much greater.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“It’s like taking over a sinking ship, a company that is headed to bankruptcy,” O’Mara told the Journal.
Howard Lutnick and Sean Duffy have also become converts of the fermented food diet.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
Speaking at an event in Michigan last week, the 72-year-old Kennedy claimed that he had “lost 20 pounds” after following the diet for 30 days. He also said Vance is on the sauerkraut diet and “you can see how different” the 41-year-old vice president looks.
The Trump administration is so obsessed with the diet that they talk about it and exchange tips when they meet at the White House, according to the Journal.
JD Vance has stuck with the diet after initially committing to it only for Lent earlier this year.
Spencer Platt/Reuters
Kennedy is said to be such an advocate of it that he carries a stash of sauerkraut when he travels.
Kennedy’s wife, Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Cheryl Hines, bemoaned last year how the health secretary needs a constant supply of sauerkraut with him at all times.
“We’ll be in the car, dressed up. I’ll have my little clutch, right? One of my good bags that I only take out every once in a while, because I want to keep them nice,” Hines told Katie Miller’s podcast. “And he’ll hand me a bag of sauerkraut and say, ‘Can you put this in your bag?’ And I’ll say, ‘I actually cannot.’”
It is not just those connected to the White House getting involved in the fad.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he was put on the diet after bumping into Duffy and noticing how good Duffy’s skin looked. The transport secretary then recommended McCarthy see O’Mara.
“He told me I was the worst case he’d ever seen but he’s so positive he said: ‘You’ve got great potential,’” McCarthy told the Journal about his first meeting with O’Mara, adding he lost around four inches off his waist since going on the diet.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog


ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT