In a fiery exchange this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took a strong stance against CNN. The controversy erupted after the network attempted to undermine the figures presented in his new cooking series, which Kennedy claims are fundamentally flawed.
The Real Food Show, a venture by RFK aimed at teaching families how to prepare nutritious meals for less than $5 a serving, has drawn both praise and scrutiny. CNN, for reasons unclear, chose to question this positive initiative. They dispatched a reporter to purchase ingredients for one of the highlighted dishes, the Wild Alaskan Salmon Cakes, to put Kennedy’s claims to the test.
In a segment on “Erin Burnett OutFront,” reporter Tom Foreman recreated the dish from the show. He argued that the cost was not as feasible as Kennedy and his collaborating chef had indicated, creating a point of contention.
The broadcast featured a graphic that queried, “What does it really cost?” as Foreman expressed skepticism about the show’s “dubious claims.” The atmosphere was charged, adding a layer of drama to the report.
Foreman meticulously calculated the expenses of the recipe ingredients, pointing out a perceived inconsistency. He noted that Kennedy priced an individual egg rather than basing it on the full price of a dozen, suggesting a potential “trick” to lower the appearance of the cost.
Seriously. When calculating the cost of the meal, he claims that using only the cost of the one solitary egg in the recipe is some sort of arithmetic wizardry.
CNN remakes one of the “affordable” meals from RFK Jr.’s new cooking show. It should cost under $5 per serving, but what’s the real price point? @tomforemancnn reports. pic.twitter.com/7kvmaqa5cL
— Erin Burnett OutFront (@OutFrontCNN) August 20, 2026
It’s hard to believe Foreman and CNN put out this segment. How dumb do they think their viewers are? Do they honestly think they go to the grocery store and are beside themselves that they can’t just purchase one egg, or buy just a sliver of an onion?
Okay, well maybe there’s a chance. Their viewers certainly buy into some other stories CNN puts out, like Russia collusion and the vaccine prevents the spread of COVID. So, there’s that.
The crime here, aside from that goofy shirt Foreman is wearing, is that he’s presenting this as some wild conspiracy. Apparently, when Tom goes to a restaurant and orders a hamburger, he fully expects the place to charge for the bulk package of ground beef they bought, along with the entire package of rolls, a whole head of lettuce, an entire jar of mayo, etc.
RFK pointed out the logistics behind actual meal pricing in a social media jab at the show’s namesake.
“Trump Derangement Syndrome has so debilitated [Erin Burnett] that she has abandoned both common sense and basic arithmetic,” he wrote on X. “CNN wants us to incorporate the full package price of every ingredient, regardless of what is used in the recipe.”
“If you put a squirt of ketchup on your burger, would you be surprised if the restaurant charged you for the whole bottle?”
I sure would. Tom, in his pastel pinstriped shirt, not so much.
Trump Derangement Syndrome has so debilitated @ErinBurnett that she has abandoned both common sense and basic arithmetic.
CNN wants us to incorporate the full package price of every ingredient, regardless of what is used in the recipe.
If you put a squirt of ketchup on your… https://t.co/0vUy9yoJdC
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 21, 2026
Embedded tweet continues:
… burger, would you be surprised if the restaurant charged you for the whole bottle?
The Real Food Show uses standard recipe costing: we count what the recipe actually uses. The rest stays in your kitchen for the next meal—and the meals after that.
Our goal is simple: help Americans reclaim their kitchens, cook healthy food without breaking the bank, and stock their pantries with high-quality ingredients they can use again and again. That’s how we Make America Healthy Again.
What a concept. You put the bottle of avocado mayo back in the refrigerator and use it for other foods. Or, you use it strictly for that same recipe and make yourself about 38 Wild Alaskan Salmon Cakes.
Which, as a connoisseur of foods that are terrible for you, sounds awful. Though I’m certain my colleague Ward Clark would disagree.
It might be a step above RFK’s strict regimen of red meat and fermented vegetables, which Sec. of State Marco Rubio hilariously described as a “crazy diet” forcing him to lug around coolers full of “sauerkraut and meat.”
🤣 LMAO! Marco Rubio just dropped this hilarious response to Sec. RFK Jr.’s diet
Q: Have you adopted RFK’s diet of red meat and fermented vegetables?
RUBIO: “No! This is a CRAZY diet. This is a diet that consists of eating sauerkraut and meat. Now you understand like this is… pic.twitter.com/qgaMNjsIhu
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 11, 2026
I’m going with the President on this one. Give me McDonald’s and a Diet Coke every day of the week. Unlike CNN, I won’t, and most people probably wouldn’t, try to rain on the parade of someone trying to eat a little healthier.
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