U.S. Health Secretary and Wife Fly Economy: "Patriot" vs. "Publicity Stunt"

Sitting Side by Side in Economy After Boarding
Online Debate Erupts as Users Compare to Sanders and AOC

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a scion of a prominent American political family and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was spotted boarding an economy class seat on a flight with his spouse, drawing public attention. Local internet users have shown mixed reactions to this scene. On October 19 (local time), international media outlets such as the New York Post and the UK’s Daily Mail reported that a video was posted on social media on October 17, showing Secretary Kennedy and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, going through the boarding process with regular passengers and sitting side by side in economy class during the flight.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a scion of a prominent American political family and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, was spotted boarding an airplane in economy class seats with his spouse. TikTok @corneliussene

The video captured Secretary Kennedy lining up to board according to the flight attendants’ instructions, and the couple sitting together in a window and middle seat. While it is presumed that the flight departed from Washington, the destination was not disclosed. Online users commented, “This video says a lot. Secretary Kennedy flies economy, while those who claim to be ‘champions of the people’ use private jets,” and “Secretary Kennedy is a true patriot.” On the other hand, some users criticized the couple’s use of economy class as merely a publicity stunt. Secretary Kennedy’s office has not released an official statement regarding this trip.

Furthermore, the video has sparked additional controversy. Local internet users compared the Kennedy couple’s actions-even if intended for show-to the conduct of progressive politicians such as Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (commonly known as AOC, Democrat of New York), noting a clear difference. Sanders and AOC, both considered leading progressive politicians, have strongly advocated for increased taxation on billionaires and urgent action on the climate crisis. However, they have faced heavy criticism for frequently using private jets for travel within the United States. In particular, around May, Fox News reported that Sanders and AOC were seen disembarking from a luxury aircraft, the Bombardier Challenger 604.

The price of this aircraft ranges from 5 million to 7 million dollars (approximately 7.1 billion to 9.9 billion won), and the charter cost is known to approach 15,000 dollars per hour (about 21 million won). Some have pointed to research indicating that those who use private jets emit about 500 times more carbon annually than the global average, criticizing the actions of progressive politicians like Sanders as hypocritical.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.