RFK Jr. Cornered on His Wild Pick for Food Campaign Spokesperson
MAHA crusaders enlisted a heavyweight celebrity for a Super Bowl ad.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was quizzed on his selection of an eyebrow-raising new crusader for the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
In an interview with Fox News’ Peter Doocy for The Sunday Briefing, the health secretary, 72, was cornered on the Super Bowl ad against processed food featuring legendary boxer Mike Tyson. The ad was paid for by the MAHA Center, an advocacy group aligned with Kennedy.
“The newest fighter in the war on processed food is the face of RealFood.gov, Mike Tyson. How did you settle on somebody who is most famous for eating Evander Holyfield’s ear?” Doocy said, referencing the infamous 1997 bout where Tyson, 59, bit off his opponent’s ear.
Kennedy chuckled before responding that Brett Ratner, the director of Melania and Rush Hour who has been accused of sexual misconduct, helped produce the ad.
“You know, it was really serendipitous,” he said. “The two guys, Brett Ratner, who helped produce the ad, had a lifelong friendship with him and understood and was aware of the struggle that Mike had—which he says [was] the biggest struggle, the biggest fight that he had in his lifetime—his fight with obesity.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The 30-second black-and-white ad closes in on Tyson’s face as he opens up about his family’s history of obesity and his own unhealthy eating habits.
The most important fight of my life isn’t in the ring.
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) February 6, 2026
I’m not fighting for a belt. I’m fighting for our health.
Processed foods are killing us. We have been lied to and we need to eat real food again. pic.twitter.com/vnxHoCqHTJ
“I was so fat and nasty. I would eat anything. I was, like, 345 pounds, a quart of ice cream every hour. I had so much self-hate when I was like, I just wanted to kill myself,” he recalled. “We’re the most powerful country in the world, and we have the most obese, fudgy people. Something has to be done about processed food in this country.”
The ad concludes with Tyson biting into an apple as the words “Processed Food Kills” and “Eat Real Food” flash on the screen. It directs viewers to RealFood.gov, a website that outlines MAHA-friendly new dietary guidelines for Americans.
Kennedy said the entire ad was conceived and shot over a three-day period.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on X
He sang praises for Tyson in an X post on Friday, writing: “Thank you for sharing your story Mike — and delivering the most important message in Super Bowl history. We don’t have to be the sickest country in the developed world. The answer is simple: EAT REAL FOOD."
“They gave him a script, the script was not working, and he just started talking, and it’s an extraordinary, powerful ad,” he said. “I think it’s the most important ad in Super Bowl history, because it’s a crisis, Peter, that’s existential for us now.”
Kennedy has long railed against processed foods, which he blames for many of America’s health woes. He said he plans to spend Super Bowl Sunday eating yogurt.
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