RFK Jr. blasts Dunkin' as Healey replies, 'come and take it' - Boston.com

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By Abby Patkin

A Dunkin’ war is brewing in New England after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. singled out the iconic coffee chain last week while speaking at a rally against processed foods.

“We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it,’” Kennedy told the audience in Austin, Texas. “I don’t think they’re gonna be able to do it.”

The remarks came as Kennedy headlined the Feb. 26 “Eat Real Food” rally, offering some insight into the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul the nation’s food supply and potentially ban certain ingredients if they can’t be proven safe. Kennedy’s Dunkin’ dig was first reported by The Boston Globe.

Dunkin’ did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Kennedy’s remarks did, however, generate some buzz online. Gov. Maura Healey reshared the Globe article on X with a meme that showed a Dunk’s cup with the words “come and take it.”

— Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor)

[https://t.co/Kr4qXdOEBI][pic.twitter.com/W6jIA3tkMT][March 4, 2026]

After all, it was just a few years ago that Healey donned one of Dunkin’s orange and magenta tracksuits (made famous by the “DunKings” commercial starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) and declared, “Massachusetts runs on DunQueens!”

Others who reacted to Kennedy’s remarks played on New England’s revolutionary roots, from “donut tread on me” slogans to Boston Tea Party comparisons.

“Maybe this regime needs to remember we take drinks VERY SERIOUSLY in New England,” one X user wrote.

Hey, I've seen this one

— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew)[https://t.co/Iau9artuy7][pic.twitter.com/Ina78oJd8g][March 4, 2026]

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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