(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. left some social media users scratching their heads when he said he wants all Americans to wear devices that track their health metrics.
Testifying Tuesday before the House Energy Committee, Kennedy was asked by Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, if he backed Americans wearing such devices.
“Absolutely,” Kennedy said. “In fact, we’re about to launch one of the biggest advertising campaigns in HHS history to encourage Americans to use wearables.”
Some interpreted his remarks as endorsing government-mandated, collective health-tracking devices.
Kennedy pitched the devices as a way for people to “take control” of their health and make appropriate changes when needed.
“They can take responsibility,” he added. “They can see, as you know, what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates, and a number of other metrics. … They can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives.”
Kennedy ultimately branded wearables as “key” to President Donald Trump’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. “My vision is that every American is wearing wearables within four years,” he continued.
Wait…what???
RFK Jr: "My vision that is every American is wearing a wearable (electronic data collection device) within four years." pic.twitter.com/snrjldK0aZ
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) June 24, 2025
On X, critics warned Kennedy’s comments sounded like a pitch for government-issued trackers that collect personal data, though he never said HHS would distribute the devices itself.
Some of the gadgets include smartwatches and fitness trackers, which feature technology capable of monitoring blood pressure or running electrocardiograms.
It’s unclear how many Americans would embrace life-logging government tech or whether Trump would back such a proposal in the first place.
