Michael Wolff told Joanna Coles on the Inside Trump's Head podcast that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be positioning himself for a 2028 presidential bid by tapping into what he calls "conspiracy hypochondria." Wolff argues Kennedy blends anti‑establishment food messaging with heightened personal‑health rhetoric — a combination that could form the core of a future campaign. Kennedy, 72, ran as an independent in 2024, withdrew in August and later endorsed Donald Trump; he has since promoted a "Make America Healthy Again" agenda and launched an online cooking show.
Michael Wolff: RFK Jr. May Be Crafting A 2028 Run Around 'Conspiracy Hypochondria'
Wolff believes that Kennedy is planning another presidential run in 2028. / MARK MAKELA / REUTERS
Michael Wolff, the longtime biographer of Donald Trump, told listeners on his podcast Inside Trump's Head that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be quietly preparing a return to the presidential trail by leaning into a potent mix of conspiracy-minded messaging and intense personal-health rhetoric.
Speaking with host Joanna Coles, Wolff argued that the current political mood blends suspicion of institutions with an obsessive focus on individual wellness — a combination he dubbed "conspiracy hypochondria." He suggested Kennedy is uniquely positioned to exploit that zeitgeist if he decides to run again in 2028.
RFK Jr. is using the show to demonstrate how to use the new
"My theory, and I'm gonna expand on this... [is] that politics at this point in time is the intersection of conspiracy and hypochondria," Wolff told Coles. "RFK Jr. understands that, and that is the circumstance and the issue—the zeitgeist—that he is going to try to run to take him to the presidency."
Wolff pointed to Kennedy's longtime skepticism about vaccines and his focus on food and wellness as elements of a broader platform. He framed the former 2024 independent candidate's appeal as a blend of anti‑establishment food critiques and a culturally heightened concern for personal health — a theme Wolff says Kennedy can turn into political traction.
"I think RFK Jr.—still Jr. at 72—understands this and sees it as a very potent issue," Wolff said. "He's gonna be the food pyramid president."
Kennedy ran as an independent in the 2024 presidential race before withdrawing in August 2024 and endorsing Donald Trump. Since that campaign, he has continued to promote a health-focused brand — often styled as "Make America Healthy Again" — and recently launched The Real Food Show, an online cooking program that highlights affordable meals aligned with his dietary recommendations.
JD Vance and his new book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith. / Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty/Harper
Coles noted Kennedy's recurring warnings about an "epidemic of loneliness" in the United States, which Wolff characterized as part of the same hypochondriacal framing: an inclination to see social and political problems as rooted primarily in bodily or personal ailments.
"[It's] all a form of hypochondria—of looking at the body assuming all of your problems are related to things going wrong in your body. And things go wrong as soon as you start to think this," Wolff said. "RFK is, in some sense, implanting this idea, and then people go, 'Oh my God, yes—I feel it.'"
Wolff also warned that several Trump administration figures are cultivating public profiles that could presage future political bids. He cited Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's road-trip reality show and Vice President JD Vance's recent book as examples of officials prioritizing personal branding over day-to-day duties.
"Everybody is running for president. Everybody is... exploring their next career step," Wolff said. "Everybody is positioning themselves. And that means not doing their jobs... It's another job in itself, which will then take away from the job that they are being paid to do."
The Daily Beast reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment. For listeners, new episodes of Inside Trump's Head drop multiple times a week on YouTube and other podcast platforms.
Help us improve.
