RFK Jr. says: It ended the war on protein. It doesn’t exist

to some extent With a baffling directive, US Health Secretary RFK Jr. claims to be “ending the war on protein.”

The announcement, which was posted to the White House’s X account on January 11 alongside an ominously lit photo of Kennedy, came as part of the federal government’s 2025-2030 dietary guidelines, which now prioritize protein “at every meal.” Some of the advice — especially avoiding ultra-processed foods and added sugars — has been well received by nutrition experts and health organizations such as the American Heart Association. But other aspects of it represent shocks that challenge scientific consensus. For example, the recommendation to consume saturated fats found in whole milk, butter, and lard conflicts with previous dietary guidelines, which generally advised limiting saturated fats.

But one of the biggest takeaways from the new food guide — which will affect everything from SNAP to school lunches — is that Americans should consume more protein, ideally from animals.

“Today the lies stop. Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in previous dietary guidelines,” Kennedy, the leader of MAGA’s most powerful and vulnerable offshoot, the Make America Healthy Again movement, said in an announcement about the new guidelines on January 7.

The thing is, there is no war on protein. If there was one, it was long lost. Americans have never been as obsessed with protein as they are today, with consumption levels in the United States reaching record levels, even with almost no protein shortages.

However, Kennedy’s slogan makes sense in the context of the MAGA movement that made body image, fitness, and masculinity central principles.

“They’re trying to tie it to the war on masculinity, the war on warrior culture. All of these things are interconnected,” said Colin Davis, a personal trainer and political commentator who has criticized MAGA’s encroachment on the fitness industry.

In August, Kennedy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted videos online of themselves doing push-ups and pull-ups as part of what they called the “Pete and Bobby Fitness Challenge.” Hegseth also convened an unprecedented meeting of US generals at Quantico, Virginia, in September to discuss standards of military fitness and preparation. “It is absolutely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth told hundreds of generals in attendance.

President Trump himself has linked his movement to fitness through his friendship with UFC CEO Dana White, coordinating a number of campaign campaigns at UFC events in 2024. These physical rallies put the then-presidential candidate in close proximity to young, fit men who would sometimes give him shoutouts of support after a fight; Trump will continue to flip the young male vote by nearly 30 points in his favor during the 2024 election. In June, Trump said, the White House is hosting a UFC cage fight as part of celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary.

Some experts say Kennedy’s reworking of the Dietary Guidelines is a continuation of that project, particularly the emphasis on animal proteins, projecting a form of idealized masculinity by playing into long-standing, well-researched cultural perceptions about food and sex.

“There’s a long-standing association between men and meat and fire and outdoor cooking,” said Charlotte Biltikoff, a professor of food, wine and culture at the University of California, Davis. “Women with light foods, weight loss diet, vegetables, fruits and salads.”

All of this serves to position the president and his broader political movement close to a kind of aspirational masculinity that is highly effective, powerful, physically attractive, and neatly placed within traditional gender roles.