John Mulaney tore into Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Saturday Night Live, branding him a “dumbass.”
“No one likes that guy anymore,” Mulaney, 44, quipped during his Saturday, November 14, standup comedy monologue. “What a predicament to be in. I have right-wing friends who used to be into him. Now, no one likes him.”
He added, “You dumbass! Your thing can’t be the measles. That can’t be your project! Giving people the measles and hoping they [live].”
(Measles cases have reportedly risen to a 35-year high under Kennedy’s tenure as HHS secretary, with the Centers for Disease Control confirming 5,412 cases across 47 different regions this year.)
Mulaney repeatedly referred to Kennedy, 72, as “Bobby” throughout his monologue, revealing that he’s “known that dude for more than a decade.”
“You shouldn’t be in the government if I’ve known you for over a decade,” he joked. “I know some whack-ass people!”
The comedian recalled that he was introduced to Kennedy back when the future HHS secretary was working as an environmental lawyer. (Kennedy received a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982 and later earned a master’s degree in environmental law from the Pace University School of Law in 1987.)
“He wasn’t really [a lawyer]. He would just join cases late if they were about to be successful,” Mulaney alleged. “He had this stupid organization in New York, they were called the Riverkeepers.”
Kennedy has been associated with environmental action in the Hudson River since the 1980s, having formed the Riverkeepers organization to help keep its tributaries clean. (The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has determined that the Hudson River is safe to swim in, though there have been numerous allegations of contamination in the past.)
“They were in charge of keeping the Hudson River in New York City clean,” Mulaney said. “That was his job. That’s how good he is at jobs. His old job was keeping the Hudson River — whose native fish was tied-off used condom — clean. Now, he’s in charge of all of our tummies.”
Mulaney closed his monologue by comparing Kennedy’s gravely voice to “the mom from Goonies.” (Kennedy’s strained and shaky voice is caused by a neurological condition known as spasmodic dysphonia.)
Us has reached out to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
John Mulaney; Robert F Kennedy Jr. Getty Images (2); Kevin Winter; Win McNamee
Saturday’s monologue was far from the first time Mulaney has publicly mocked Kennedy. During his Netflix “Night of Too Many Stars” comedy set in May, he accused Kennedy of cheating on his wife, Cheryl Hines, “like a dog.”
“Sorry for the pearl clutch,” he quipped. “There are some West Side people who know exactly what I’m talking about. Sorry to drop that public domain information on the Hollywood Bowl.”
Mulaney was seemingly referring to allegations that Kennedy was sexting New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi while she covered his 2024 presidential campaign. The publication claimed that Nuzzi, 33, had not disclosed her “personal relationship” with a candidate she was covering, though its statement stopped short of directly naming Kennedy. (Nuzzi and New York Magazine eventually parted ways, though the publication found “no inaccuracies nor evidence of bias” in her coverage.)
“The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict,” Nuzzi told The New York Times at the time. “I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I’ve disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York.”
RFK Jr. never directly responded to the allegations, only telling Fox News in September 2024 that he “never comment[s] on those kinds of stories.” Hines seemingly downplayed the rumors about Nuzzi in September 2025, telling the “Katie Miller Podcast” that people should “consider the source.”
“I don’t know this person. Don’t know their intentions. I could guess, but I won’t,” she said of Nuzzi.
