Health
New York Times Fact Check on RFK Jr Over Fruit Loops Backfires
The New York Times fact-check to disprove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claim over Fruit loops in the United States confirms his argument instead of debunking it.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. singled out Fruit Loops as an example of a food with too many artificial components, querying why the Canadian version had fewer than the American version,” the Times reported.
He was wrong. According to the New York Times fact checkers, the ingredient list is roughly the same, except that Canada’s has natural coloring made from blueberries and carrots, whereas the US product contains red dye 40, yellow 5, and blue 1, as well as Butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, a lab-made chemical used ‘for freshness.’
The bizarre fact-check, which appeared to reinforce rather than debunk Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s argument concerning artificial additives in cereal in the United States, prompted critics to slam the New York Times piece.
“Spitting out my coffee after reading this NYT’ fact check’ of RFK Jr.,” X user Brad Cohn wrote in a post that drew over 4 million views on the social media platform.
He added in mockery,”‘ As you see, the ingredient list is just completely identical, except the US product contains formaldehyde, cyanide, and nearly undetectable levels of saxitoxin.'”
“Read this ‘fact check’ on @RobertFKennedyJr from the NYT and tell me with a straight face we don’t need a radical transformation of our media and health agencies,” Jason Howerton, CEO of REACH digital, posted to X.
“This is what passes for a ‘fact check’ at The New York Times,” Turning Points USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote on X. “The media lie a lot, but fortunately for us, they are also VERY stupid.”
Podcaster Jay Anderson posted to X, “This has got to be the dumbest ‘Fact Check’ on RFK Jr. from the New York Times… who approved this?”
Spitting out my coffee after reading this NYT “fact check” of RFK Jr. pic.twitter.com/sqL9jaeUR1
— Brad Cohn (@BradCohn) November 17, 2024
The New York Times has since corrected the story, blaming it on an editing error. An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Mr. Kennedy’s recent comments on Froot Loops. The correction read that he was comparing the total number of ingredients in the US and Canadian versions of the cereal, not the number of artificial ingredients.
Kennedy’s nomination by President-Elect Trump as health secretary has spurred a wave of legacy media reports with warnings from Democrats and medical professionals that Kennedy was a threat to public health and would “cost lives” because of his skepticism of vaccines.
