CNN’s data guru Harry Enten just dropped a political bombshell. Despite being mired in controversy, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is technically the “most popular” member of Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Now, don’t get too excited. ‘Popular’ is a relative word here.
According to Enten’s analysis of recent polling, Kennedy’s net favorable rating sits at -7 (that’s the percentage of people who view him favorably minus those who don’t). But believe it or not, that’s still better than some of Trump’s other top names.
For comparison, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is at -10, Vice President JD Vance sits at -11, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lags at -14. In other words, Kennedy might not be loved, but he’s not as disliked as the rest of Trump’s inner circle. “So, no, RFK Jr. is not a drag on President Trump. He’s not the most embattled,” Enten explained during his CNN segment, noting that his analysis only covered the four officials CNN had recent polling on.
But Kennedy’s so-called “popularity” comes at a time when he’s under enormous fire. The health secretary, one of the country’s loudest vaccine skeptics, endured a brutal day on Capitol Hill this week, facing a catastrophic Senate hearing where lawmakers from both parties tore into him over his vaccine policies and handling of public health agencies.
Outside of Congress, the backlash is even louder. Over 1,000 current and former staffers from the Department of Health and Human Services, along with prominent medical experts, have called publicly for Kennedy’s resignation. Even his own family members have turned against him.
His sister, Kerry Kennedy, blasted him in a searing post on X Friday morning: “Medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and licensed professionals, not incompetent and misguided leadership. The decimation of critical institutions like the NIH and the CDC will lead to the loss of innocent lives. This means that children, mothers, fathers, and those you love are at risk now, like never before. … Enough is enough. Secretary Kennedy must resign.”
🚨 JUST IN: CNN is now reporting that even in BIASED POLLING, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is "THE MOST POPULAR OFFICIAL in Trump's Cabinet."
The attempts to make him resign must fail.
RFK Jr. needs all the support he can get.pic.twitter.com/usC0IQRssV
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 4, 2025
For Trump, the polling is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it shows Kennedy isn’t the total liability many thought he’d be. On the other hand, a Cabinet in which the ‘most popular’ figure is still underwater in the polls can hardly be called a win. Critics say this bizarre snapshot of Trump’s Cabinet speaks volumes about the political climate, where being slightly less hated counts as being “the favorite.” With Kennedy still embroiled in a public health storm, his thin edge in the polls may not last long.
RFK Jr. may not be dragging Trump down just yet, but with the walls closing in, even a -7 could feel like a free fall.
