A bizarre anecdote from a new biography of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sparked a wave of viral memes and jokes online.
The detail appears in RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise, a newly released biography by investigative journalist Isabel Vincent. The book draws on interviews and material including Kennedy's personal journals to chronicle his journey from scion of America's most-famous political family to one of the most-controversial figures in U.S. politics.
In one passage, Vincent recounts an incident from the early 2000s in which Kennedy, now 72, allegedly pulled over during a family drive after spotting a dead raccoon on the side of the highway. According to news-outlet reports, he removed the animal's genitals so he could "study them later."
"I was standing in front of my parked car on I‑684 cutting the penis out of a road‑killed raccoon, thinking about how weird some of my family members have turned out to be," the passage reads, as quoted by the New York Post.
According to the book, his children remained in the car. He kept the genitals for research purposes, he told People magazine.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for comment via email.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the son of former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of assassinated President John F. Kennedy. A longtime environmental lawyer and political activist, he ran for president as an independent in 2024 before dropping out and later joining Donald Trump's administration. In 2025, he was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The unusual story quickly spread across social media, where users treated it as fodder for surreal humor rather than political debate.
"God forbid men have hobbies," posted X user Rothmus in response to the New York Post coverage.
"Every RFK Jr. story feels like crazy Mad Libs," wrote Joe Farella, referencing the fill‑in‑the‑blank word game known for producing nonsensical and absurd sentences when random words are substituted.
One viral post came from a parody raccoon account, Munchie (@yo_Frizz), which shared a two‑panel meme of a cartoon raccoon sitting at a desktop computer. The first image reads, "what a lovely day on the inter -- " while the second cuts off with the caption, "Good lord."
Another user, Jakob, shared an image of Kennedy with his face partially obscured, writing: "RFK Jr. whenever he sees a well‑endowed dead raccoon."
The renewed attention comes amid ongoing tension between Kennedy and much of the wider Democratic Kennedy family, from whom he has long been politically and ideologically estranged.
In a MSNBC interview in November 2025, Jack Schlossberg -- the grandson of John F. Kennedy -- referred to his cousin as a "rabid dog" while criticizing his role in government.
When Newsweek previously reported on Schlossberg's remarks, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services responded: "Secretary Kennedy is focused on doing his job, improving the health and well‑being of the American people."