Story perspectives
Health Secretary Kennedy Reveals Battle with Vocal Disorder
9/23/2025
50 7
1 of 1
Story summary
- During a Senate hearing on vaccine policy, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke with a strained voice.
- He has spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder affecting about 50,000 in North America, causing involuntary vocal spasms and a shaky voice.
- Diagnosed in 1996, Kennedy has discussed his condition publicly; symptoms include sudden voice changes from breathy to strained.
