What to Know
There’s not much that people who are opposed to Donald Trump have patience for when it comes to his administration and those closest to him. By design, anyone closer to Trump or appointed by Trump is up against the same king of trolling, scrutiny, and brutal, brutal internet comments as he is. That includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
So when RFK Jr. was heard breathing heavily into his microphone during a Senate hearing, you’d better believe that people called him out for it on X (formerly Twitter). Although RFK Jr. has been open about his neurological voice disorder he has lived with for more than 30 years, it’s still something that anti-MAGA individuals can’t just let go of.
RFK Jr.’s breathing doesn’t even sound real in the video.
OMG — the RFK Jr breathing noises during this hearing are absolutely horrifying pic.twitter.com/BFeDmJTihL
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2026
The hot mic moment isn’t addressed in the clip from the hearing on X. It doesn’t even seem like anyone realizes that the guttural and continuous breathing in the microphone is happening. But it is, and, according to the X post, it’s coming from RFK Jr. in the room. He could have moved the mic away from his face, or somehow turned it off since he wasn’t even speaking, but apparently those weren’t options for him.
The user who posted the clip wrote, “OMG — the RFK Jr. breathing noises during this hearing are absolutely horrifying.”
Another person wrote, “Sounds like an old pug trying to walk up steps.”
“I want to hear Kennedy sing the national anthem without dying in the process,” another person joked.
Is the chronic disorder something to actually make fun of and joke about it? In normal circumstances, no. But this is the wild wild west of the internet, and people are able to hide behind their screens and keyboards as they try to set MAGA straight about what is and isn’t acceptable from RFK Jr.
Because when an X user wrote, “Like a ventilator machine struggling to get the tar-filled lungs to raise,” they made it clear that there is no limit to what they’ll say about RFK Jr. for an incident like this.
“That gurgling junkie sounds like he’s about to croak,” a person added, just for good measure.
Some think he needs a CPAP machine as soon as possible.
rfk jr is way too combative for someone who sounds like something with a dying battery.
— Covie (@covie_93) April 23, 2026
Others joked that, because of RFK Jr.’s obvious breathing issue related to his prior diagnosis, he must need a CPAP machine, or a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine, to help him breathe at night. According to the National Library of Medicine, a CPAP machine is not always necessary for a patient with spasmodic dysphonia, it can sometimes help with airflow. But again, a CPAP machine is not a necessity for RFK Jr., despite what some harsher critics on social media might say.
RFK Jr. has opened up about his medical condition.
When Trump tapped RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, it was the first time some Americans had considered who the member of the Kennedy family is and what kind of working relationship he has with Trump. It was also the first time many heard RFK Jr.’s voice. But, because he has been open about it since he was thrust into the spotlight as a member of the Trump Administration, people understand that the condition is not something he can control.
But tell that to the social media users who aren’t having it when it comes to RFK Jr.
“If he had ANY self-awareness, he would turn off his mic until he needs to answer,” a commenter wrote under the X post with the clip. Honestly, that would have made things a lot easier for everyone involved.
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