Politics

‘Grown ass men btw’: Dr Oz appears to block RFK Jr from standing behind Trump

Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

US president Donald Trump has been known to appreciate high praise from members of his administration (as evidenced during a roundtable event in March where the Republican challenged FBI director Kash Patel to see if he could “top” compliments given by homeland security adviser Stephen Miller), but this appeared to cause tension on Monday when Dr Mehmet Oz seemed to block Robert F. Kennedy Jr from standing behind Trump in the Oval Office.

The moment occurred during an announcement from the Trump administration about the lowering of drug prices.

After RFK Jr, the US health secretary, concluded his remarks and tried to return to his spot behind the president, Medicare and Medicaid administrator Dr Oz added his own comments while placing a hand on Kennedy Jr. two times to keep him in position to the left of him.

It was only after Dr Oz finished speaking and returned to his spot behind the president that RFK Jr was able to do the same, and the pair were seen briefly talking to each other.

The awkward situation has sparked ridicule online, with political commentator Jo Carducci (known online as JoJoFromJerz) responding with several laughing emojis:

Ron Filipkowski of MeidasTouch tweeted: “Look how p***ed RFK Jr is that Oz won’t let him stand behind daddy”:

A parody of California governor Gavin Newsom’s press office account on X/Twitter quipped: “Look at them fight. In this corner, a sycophant. In the other corner, a bigger sycophant. The winner gets to stand behind daddy and praise him like a trained circus monkey who will still get fired and spend the rest of his miserable life trying to wash off the smell of Donald”:

“Grown ass men btw,” said commentator Colvie:

And another user said: “Watch as Oz and RFK Jr almost come to blows. Pretty sure a bunch of d***s are about to get whipped out and measured”:

The White House and Department of Health and Human Services have been approached by indy100 for comment.

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