WASHINGTON (March 11, 2026) – Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) explained why Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns about the ingredients in some popular coffee drinks in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
Key excerpts of the speech are below:
“One of the things I support Secretary Kennedy on is trying to make the American people more cognizant about what they’re eating. Not to tell them what they can eat and drink, but to make them aware.”
. . .
“I’m not telling anybody what to do or not to do. I’m just pointing out the facts. A caramel macchiato has as much sugar as 12 Chips Ahoy cookies. A caramel macchiato has as much sugar as four Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. . . . And it has about as much sugar as 50% of a medium McDonald’s chocolate milkshake. You can burn off the calories, though, if you run three miles to burn off the calories.
“So, again, I’m not here to tell people what they should drink or not drink or eat or not eat, but I wanted people—to the extent that they are listening and that they care—to understand why I think Secretary Kennedy made the point that he made about coffee that takes ten or more words to order, and specifically Starbucks coffee.”
