Pungent sauerkraut diet fad is sweeping Trump's Cabinet - and one man is resisting it

By NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT Published: 22:43, 18 June 2026 | Updated: 22:51, 18 June 2026 It's not just Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr who's embraced a diet high in sauerkraut.  The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Kennedy has been joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Vice President JD Vance.  'Within 30 days I lost 20 pounds,' Kennedy boasted at an event in Michigan last week. 'JD Vance is also on the diet and you can see how different he looks.'  The diet, according to the Journal, was created by Dr Sean O'Mara, who recommends that his patients eat grass-fed steak and fermented vegetables, which includes sauerkraut and kimchi, to reduce visceral fat. He argues the diet gives adherents a more robust microbiome, which aids digestion.  He's been treating high-profile political figures since working as a White House doctor under President George W. Bush and continued to do so in private practice, charging $8,000 for an optimization plan or $18,000 for a direct consultation, the Journal reported.  While O'Mara wouldn't discuss his patients, the newspaper found that Kennedy, Lutnick and Duffy were among the ranks.  Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is also a convert, after running into Duffy last year and remarking that the Cabinet secretary's skin was glowing, the Journal said.  One man that hasn't embraced the diet is President Donald Trump, who was captured eating pizza and French fries during his recent trip to see the New York Knicks play in the NBA finals.  The smell of sauerkraut has permeated the nation's capital, with at least three Trump Cabinet members and the Vice President eating a diet of grass-fed steak and fermented vegetables  Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr was the first Trump Cabinet member to jump on the diet  Trump's most recent physical showed that he gained 14 pounds since last year's health assessment.   It was RFK Jr's actress wife, Cheryl Hines, who first revealed the smell of sauerkraut was permeating at least her little piece of the capital. Talking to Trump adviser Stephen Miller's wife, Katie, for an October episode of the Katie Miller podcast, the Curb Your Enthusiasm veteran revealed that the HHS chief was eating a diet of only meat and fermented vegetables. 'So what that looks like is, in the morning at 6:30, he's cooking a steak and eating sauerkraut,' Hines said, indicating she didn't particularly care for the smell as she was sipping on a latte. Miller then asked how Kennedy was able to stick to that diet when the couple went out.   'I don't know if he wants me saying this either, but who cares,' Hines said, before adding, 'He's so dedicated to this diet that he's eating that he will bring his own sauerkraut to a restaurant.' The actress said she'll get dressed up and get in the car with RFK Jr. for a night out on the town. 'I'll have my little clutch, one of my good bags that I only take out every once in a while, because I want to keep them nice and he'll hand me a bag of sauerkraut and say, 'Can you put this in your bag?'' Hines said.  After Kennedy, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (left) and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (right) took up the diet  Vice President JD Vance has also been eating his sauerkraut. He's photographed leading the White House press briefing Thursday  Hines has refused if she's carrying a nice purse.  'I'm going to give this bag to one of my daughters when I die, this is not a sauerkraut bag,' Hines said she has told her husband. 'If you tell me ahead of time, I can bring a sauerkraut bag,' she said. 'So when I walk in, people say, 'eww, what's that smell?' Don't worry about it, it's my husband's dinner.'  Lutnick hasn't gone that far, but the Journal reported that he's started making fermented vegetables at home instead of purchasing store-bought sauerkraut.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.