Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took center stage at CattleCon 2026. The sometimes-controversial RFK was part of a fireside chat with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein. This appearance follows the recent unveiling of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “We now have a food pyramid that makes more sense that puts protein at the top of the food pyramid.” Kennedy urged cattle producers to expand their herds. “We had a 132 million head in 1972 and we have 92 million today and a lot of producers, because of fluctations in the markets and uncertainty are slaughtering the breeding cows and I ask you to stop doing that,” said Kennedy. “We need a lot of beef and we want to make it here in America; we don’t want to be importing it from other countries.” Kennedy wrapped up his time on stage by saying he eats beef every day.
