In a recent Nov. 18 Instagram post, a clip of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discussing fast food on Fox News was shared. The caption claimed that McDonald’s offered $850 million in “hush money” to RFK Jr. This post received over 1,000 likes in just eight days. However, upon closer examination, there is no evidence to support this claim.

Our Rating: False

Analysis of the Claim

There is no credible report suggesting that McDonald’s offered to pay Kennedy $850 million. Neither McDonald’s nor Kennedy has made any mention of such a payment. Kennedy’s appearance on “Fox & Friends” in late October was focused on his stance on fast food and not on any alleged hush money deal. He discussed his opposition to food with seed oils rather than any financial arrangement with McDonald’s.During the appearance, he questioned why McDonald’s no longer uses tallow fat to fry its food. President-elect Trump has nominated Kennedy to serve as Health and Human Services secretary, but this has no relation to the alleged hush money claim.

McDonald’s Switch to Vegetable Oil

It is a known fact that McDonald’s and its competitors Burger King and Wendy’s stopped using beef tallow and switched to “100 percent vegetable oil” in 1990 to reduce saturated fat and eliminate cholesterol in the fries. McDonald’s now uses a canola-blend oil for its fries. In 2023, McDonald’s reported a net income of nearly $8.5 billion, and the purported $850 million “hush money” payment would equal about 10% of the restaurant chain’s annual income.

Controversy over Seed Oils

Kennedy isn’t alone in his claim that seed oils aren’t healthy. However, Christopher Gardner, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, has stated that decades of research have shown that seed oils are associated with better health. This adds another layer of complexity to the discussion.The social media user who shared the post could not be reached for comment, leaving the claim unsubstantiated. PolitiFact and Check Your Fact have also debunked this claim.Our fact-check work is supported by a grant from Meta and is part of our commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness, and transparency as a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network.Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.