Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has finally explained why he wears jeans while working out, after videos of him exercising in the unconventional attire stirred curiosity online.
In an interview on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” Tuesday, Kennedy shared that his choice of workout wear is simply a long-standing habit.
“I started doing that years ago,” he told Watters. “I’d go hiking in the morning and then head straight to the gym. It was convenient, and now I’m so used to it that I just keep doing it.”
Kennedy, an avid outdoor enthusiast, drew attention last month after posing for a photo with his son atop Camelback Mountain near Phoenix, wearing a sweat-soaked T-shirt and blue jeans in the scorching Arizona heat.
The 71-year-old’s unconventional workout attire made headlines again this week after he shared a video with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promoting a pull-up and push-up contest called the “Pete and Bobby Challenge.”
In the video, Kennedy is seen sticking to his usual workout look — blue jeans secured with a belt and a T-shirt — while Hegseth opts for standard gym shorts.
Despite Kennedy’s explanation, his choice of attire has only fueled more confusion and debate online.
“Isn’t it a little unhygienic to wear jeans — especially the same ones you’ve hiked in — at the gym?” wondered X user Anthony the Mesa.
“The next question is… why would you wear jeans while hiking?” another user asked.
“Hiking in jeans is downright diabolical,” a third quipped.
Meanwhile, some defended Kennedy, arguing that jeans are actually the perfect choice for hiking in nature.
RFK Jr. has become known for sticking to his habit of working out in jeans.
“Bunch of city boys who’ve never been near a cactus, let alone spiders or a rattlesnake,” one denim supporter fired back on X.
Another user argued that jeans are the “most appropriate” clothing for outdoor hiking.
“In Colorado, wearing jeans while hiking or doing pretty much anything isn’t unusual at all,” a third person added.
Kennedy, a former Democrat, was sworn in as the 26th Secretary of Health and Human Services on Feb. 13, 2025, after being nominated by President Trump.
He quickly launched the “Make America Healthy Again” commission, which focuses on fitness, food reform, and the prevention of chronic illnesses.
Under the commission’s guidance, the Presidential Fitness Test for public schoolchildren has been reinstated, the FDA has been directed to phase out eight petroleum-based food dyes by 2026, and a report has been released outlining potential contributors to childhood chronic diseases.
