Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Sunday that he went swimming in Rock Creek with his grandchildren, despite posted warnings about unsafe bacteria levels in the water.
“Mother’s Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick, and Jackson, and a swim with my grandchildren, Bobcat and Cassius in Rock Creek,” Kennedy posted on X.
The 71-year-old member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet included several photos with his post, including one of him submerged in the water without a shirt.
Swimming and wading in the Washington, D.C., waterway are “not allowed due to high bacteria levels,” according to the National Park Service. The NPS also advises pet owners that animals should be kept out of the water.
Swimming in D.C.’s waters has been illegal since 1971, primarily because of contamination from sewage, but improvement to the city’s water filtration system since then – with further enhancement on the horizon – could soon lead to amendments to the law. Although the prohibition is reinforced by federal law in addition to NPS regulations, it’s rarely enforced.
Kennedy, whose slogan is Make America Healthy Again, suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump in 2024, going on to land his position in the administration.
Following his landslide win, Trump nominated the self-described renegade to lead health policy, and Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate for his HHS role in February despite some hesitancy from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Kennedy previously revealed in court documents that he was told in 2010 that he had once experienced a parasitic brain infection and had also suffered from mercury poisoning.
He most recently made waves by announcing this month that he intends to change the way vaccines are tested to require that all new vaccines undergo placebo testing before being licensed.
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