Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during a Jan. 21 rally, that Americans need to “dramatically” increase intake—“The science was clear enough on proteins that we should dramatically increase our input of proteins.” However, the science does not back up this claim. Nutrition Policy Institute researcher Wendi Gosliner spoke with FactCheck.org staff report Kate Yandell and explained how Americans generally exceed the minimum requirement to prevent protein deficiency and, in many cases, even meet the higher goal set in the new 2025-2023 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “The consensus has not been that there is a dramatic shortage of protein in this country,” Gosliner said. Read more from Gosliner's conversation with Yandell in the story, Americans Don’t Need ‘Dramatically’ More Protein, Despite Officials’ Claims, published by FactCheck.org on Feb. 3, 2026.
