
Family and politics sometimes don’t mix, and things quickly get even more complicated when you’re a well-known Hollywood figure. MCU star Chris Pratt has found himself in this position, being married to Katherine Schwarzenegger, who happens to be the cousin of political figure Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the man serving as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr. has been controversial, to say the least, since assuming the position, and now Pratt has found himself taking some heat for speaking favorably about his hugely divisive family member.
During a chat with Bill Maher on his Club Random podcast, Pratt was asked about RFK. Jr., and he spoke rather highly about the Secretary of Health. He revealed that, during family dinners, they tend not to speak about politics. The actor said that he has “spent a number of occasions” with Kennedy in what he calls a “strictly family dinner vibe” and expressed that “He’s great. He’s funny, he’s wonderful. I love him.” However, it’s his more direct response to RFK Jr.’s policies that has some on social media looking at Pratt a bit sideways.
“There’s certain things [that Kennedy] oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way, like getting terrible toxic stuff out of our kids’ food. I think that’s a great thing. If you just do that, that’s amazing. I’d hate to be so mired in hatred for the president that any success from his administration is something I’d be having an allergic reaction to. To be like, ‘Oh, well, if they do it, I don’t want it to happen. I’ll put Clorox in my children’s cereal myself! Be reasonable here. There’s certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful.”
Pratt’s comments refer to Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which is intended to cut back on ultra-processed foods in the United States. While some of Kennedy’s MAHA policies are meant to lower the toxins in foods and decrease the consumption of over-processed foods, some have pointed to his lack of medical training, his less-than-exemplary record when it comes to his claims about processed foods, and his tendency to promote false or misleading information when it comes to vaccines.
Then there is his connection to President Trump, which makes him an even bigger controversial figure for those not affiliated with the MAGA crowd. Needless to say, people on social media are coming out hard against Pratt since he spoke highly of Kennedy, even though it seems to be based on a familial need to do so rather than an official political stance.
The Guardians of the Galaxy star, who has made no secret about his conservative views, typically doesn’t speak publicly about his political leanings. He didn’t endorse Kamala Harris or President Trump in the last election, but the family he has married into has put him in a position where sometimes some of his views sneak up to the surface. It’s clear that he believes Kennedy looks bad in the media because of his affiliation with Trump, with the actor saying, in part, “[But] when you jump on the bandwagon with the most divisive president ever, it makes sense that you’re going to be made to look terrible.” However, it appears to be his lack of a real stance that has upset the masses and put Pratt in the hot seat over his comments.
“So I don’t know what to believe [about his reported policies]. It’s not like I say to Bobby, ‘Let’s talk about this’ while we’re playing cards or having fun or having dinner. I’m not going to pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true. I just assumed that none of them are? For the most part, I wish him well.”
They often say actors should stay out of politics and political conversations, but that’s no doubt hard to do when you’re connected to an ultra-political family. That being said, Pratt is no fool, and he had to know that his comments would spark some controversy. Time will tell how The Terminal List star deals with this one over time.
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