Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump, continues to face renewed scrutiny over his use of testosterone replacement therapy—an anabolic steroid—after posting a series of shirtless workout videos that went viral and reignited earlier claims he was using performance-enhancing drugs.

The controversy, first sparked in mid-2023 following a viral video of Kennedy doing push-ups outside Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, has resurfaced thanks to social media chatter and commentary from high-profile fitness figures like Greg Doucette. Doucette’s recent YouTube video—titled “Steroids! RFK Isn’t Fooling Anyone…”—recirculated the claims, pushing the topic back into the national spotlight as Kennedy now oversees U.S. health policy and drug regulation.

The Claim

Greg Doucette is a professional bodybuilder and a world-record powerlifter who also runs a YouTube channel with 2.26 million subscribers. In a video posted on March 20, Doucette discussed whether or not Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had taken steroids.

“The reason he looks like this is not because of the vitamins,” Doucette said in the video. “It’s not because he doesn’t consume pesticides. It doesn’t have anything to do with this. It’s because he trains harder than last time, and he’s on test, [also known as] steroids.”

As of publishing, the video has gotten over 137,000 views.

The Facts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly acknowledged using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), a medically approved treatment often prescribed to older men with low testosterone levels. Testosterone replacement therapy involves administering testosterone—typically via injections, patches, or gels—to restore hormone levels to a normal range.

According to an article published by WebMD, “doses of testosterone used in TRT are small, designed to achieve natural levels of the hormone in the blood.” Though still a steroid, it’s only abused when athletes use doses as much as 10 to 100 times higher than those given medically, WebMD reports. The article goes on to say that this steroid is often “stacked” with others to further enhance building muscle.

Kennedy has denied taking any steroids but confirmed taking testosterone replacement therapy as part of an “anti-aging protocol” from his doctor, the New York Times reported in 2024.

Despite Kennedy’s repeated denials of using “anabolic steroids,” testosterone itself is legally classified as an anabolic steroid under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. As WebMD explains, TRT can lead to improved muscle mass, increased energy, and reduced fat in men with clinically low testosterone. These benefits help maintain a more muscular physique, particularly in aging men, making it likely that TRT contributes to Kennedy’s visible fitness.

However, while therapeutic when used under medical supervision, testosterone’s classification as a steroid means Kennedy’s claim of not using anabolic steroids is technically incorrect.

So, how much does TRT actually influence Kennedy’s physique? According to Doucette, his diet and workout routine likely play a larger role in building and maintaining his muscle mass than the hormone therapy alone.

“I don’t care how many of [the vitamins] he’s taking, if he’s not fat, it’s because he’s exercising or not eating too many calories,” Doucette said in the YouTube video.

The Ruling

Needs Context.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Check team