Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a shot at “liberals” on X for a media flip-flop regarding the virtues of healthy eating.
“This is how they tell liberals what to think,” RFK Jr. tweeted with an image of two Time headlines.
One headline was from January 2023. It proclaimed, “Why Ultra-Processed Foods Are So Bad For You.”
The second headline was published on August 27, 2024. It contrasted by saying, “What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t As Bad As You Think?”
This is how they tell liberals what to think. https://t.co/Vkiec1KTBr
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 29, 2024
The juxtaposition of both stories was noticed and lampooned by X users. Many believed the sudden embrace of unhealthy eating by left-wing publications was driven by a re-energized partisan reaction to Kennedy endorsing former President Donald Trump. Kennedy is widely believed to be on the shortlist for a cabinet job if voters opt for Trump in November.
One user, John Weerts, tweeted, “Well, thankfully for the processed food industry, now that @RobertKennedyJr has endorsed @realDonaldTrump, TIME magazine has come out to support them and tell us that it is not the highly processed food that is killing us. Heck, you know, it’s probably safe, clean food’s fault.”
Well, thankfully for the processed food industry, now that @RobertKennedyJr has endorsed @realDonaldTrump, TIME magazine has come out to support them and tell us that it is not the highly processed food that is killing us. Heck, you know, it's probably safe, clean food’s fault. pic.twitter.com/9KpvKxqTYC
— John Weerts (@HomeChef_NC) August 30, 2024
Referencing Kennedy’s withdrawal speech, in which he suspended his candidacy and condemned the chronic illness epidemic in American children, which he largely attributed to obesity from low-quality food, Steve Baker tweeted, “Days after RFK Jr. signaled a desire to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ Time issues defense of ultra-processed foods. (If you know, you know.)”
His tweet appeared to borrow a headline from an article by The Blaze calling out Time.
“Days after RFK Jr. signaled desire to 'Make America Healthy Again,' Time issues defense of ultra-processed foods.”
(If you know, you know.) https://t.co/dpPbkmkcKo pic.twitter.com/0aXcUZ3C3P
— Steve Baker – TPC (@TPC4USA) August 29, 2024
One respondent to Kennedy’s tweet noticed that the headline had since been changed. “After 24 hours of relentless mocking, they changed the headline. We all need to be relentless,” Joshua Stylman said.
Stylman attached a screenshot that showed the new Time headline, “Why One Dietitian is Speaking Up for ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods.”
The Dallas Express looked into the change, and Stylman was correct. The headline had been changed on the Time website. However, the original headline remained intact on both Time’s X account and the social media headline for the story.
What if ultra-processed foods aren't as bad as you think? https://t.co/0qyUZVLXob
— TIME (@TIME) August 27, 2024
This media flip-flop marks one of several found in recent weeks as legacy publishers change their messaging ahead of the 2024 presidential general election. DX recently exposed The New York Times’ top editorial writer, Maureen Dowd, for changing her position on the alleged “coup” waged by high-ranking Democrats against President Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance against Trump.
After the debate, Dowd wrote a story with the headline, “Lord Almighty, Joe, Let It Go!” Dowd opened with the words, “Everyone wants Joe Biden gone.”
Then, on August 17, she wrote under a headline, “The Dems Are Delighted. But a Coup Is Still a Coup.” At no point in either story did she acknowledge her and the mainstream press allegedly leading the charge in the effort to oust the president from the race.