Somehow A confusing directive, US Health Secretary RFK Jr. he says “he’s ending the war on protein.”
The announcement, posted on the White House’s X account on January 11 alongside a poorly lit photo of Kennedy, came as part of the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for 2025-2030, which now prioritize protein “in every meal.” Some of the advice—especially avoiding highly processed foods and added sugars—has been well received by nutritionists and health organizations such as the American Heart Association. But some aspects of it represent a movement that transcends scientific consensus. For example, the recommendation to consume saturated fat found in full-fat milk, butter, and beef is at odds with previous dietary guidelines, which often advise limiting saturated fat.
But one of the biggest takeaways from the new dietary guidelines—which will affect everything from SNAP to school lunches—is that Americans should eat more protein, from animal sources.
“Today the lies stop,” Kennedy, the leader of MAGA’s brawnier and crunchier offshoot, the organization “Make America Healthy Again”, in a statement about the new direction on January 7.
The thing is, there is no war on protein. If it ever existed, it was long lost. Americans have never been more concerned about protein than they are today, with consumption levels in the United States reaching record highs, as protein deficiency is virtually non-existent.
Still, Kennedy’s screed makes sense in the context of the MAGA movement that championed body image, fitness, and central masculinity doctrines.
“They’re trying to tie you into a war against masculinity, a war against warrior culture. All these things are connected,” said Colin Davis, a personal trainer and political analyst who has criticized MAGA’s intervention in the fitness space.
In August, Kennedy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted videos online of themselves doing push-ups and pull-ups as part of what they called the “Pete and Bobby Fitness Challenge.” Hegseth also called an unprecedented meeting of US generals in Quantico, Virginia, in September to charge them about the military’s fitness and grooming standards. “It is totally unacceptable to see great generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth told the thousands of generals in attendance.
President Trump himself has linked his movement to fitness through his friendship with UFC CEO Dana White, who plans to make several campaign appearances at UFC events in 2024. These de facto meetings put the then president next to young, physically strong men who would sometimes start rants after a fight in support of him; Trump will continue to swing the young male vote nearly 30 points in his favor during the 2024 election. In June, the White House will host a UFC fight as part of America’s 250th anniversary, Trump said.
Some experts say that Kennedy’s revision of the dietary guidelines is a continuation of that project, especially the emphasis on animal protein, which presents a kind of better masculinity by playing on long-standing and well-researched cultural ideas about food and sex.
“There’s an old association of men with meat, fire, outdoor cooking,” said Charlotte Biltekoff, a professor of food, wine and culture at the University of California, Davis. “And women who have light meals, eat to lose weight, vegetables, fruits and salads.”
All of this places the president and his political establishment closer to a certain type of masculinity that is ambitious, powerful, physically attractive, and neatly positioned within traditional gender roles.
