RFK Jr. Had Anxiety Due To This Behavior From His Boss President Trump

Many people have worked for a difficult boss. And some "bad boss" habits are truly frustrating, according to a 2025 survey from Kickresume. The survey determined that three of the top 10 "bad boss" behaviors included micromanaging (50%), a lack of concern for workers' well-being (49%), and pressuring employees to work outside of normal hours (36%). Unsurprisingly, 34% of the survey participants reported that their bad boss had caused mental health problems. (Here's what happens to your body when you work too much.)

At a 2025 White House press event, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., teasingly called out Donald Trump for giving him "anxiety" (via the Daily Beast). Although Kennedy appeared to be making a joke, he did mention the questionable behavior that caused him so much stress. Kennedy noted that Trump repeatedly called him very late to put pressure on him to move quickly on an agreement with Pfizer to lower its drug costs in exchange for a reprieve from tariffs. Said Kennedy, "I was getting calls at 11:30, 12:00 at night." Later, he quipped, "This gave me anxiety so thank you President Trump."

While Kennedy's remarks were delivered in a lighthearted manner, the behaviors of Trump that he described could be deemed hallmarks of a difficult boss. And many people do experience anxiety when they don't get along with their bosses. In fact, a 2023 survey from Harris Poll found that 74% of employees with toxic bosses become anxious at the close of the weekend (and the approach of another week with their boss), and 41% have attended some kind of therapy due to their toxic boss encounters.

Ironically, several common symptoms of anxiety make it hard for workers to be as productive as possible, which defeats the goals of both bosses and companies. These include problems focusing, insomnia, and gastrointestinal distress. In fact, the number of work absences due to mental health rose by 33% between 2022 and 2023 (via SHRM). ComPsych CEO Richard Chaifetz encouraged employers to support their employees' mental well-being. Chaifetz added that "when employee mental health is invested in up front, absenteeism is reduced, as well as presenteeism, or lost productivity when a person isn't able to perform at optimal levels."

In addition to therapy, some individuals find antidepressants helpful in managing the side effects of anxiety. Interestingly, one category of antidepressants, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been the target of Kennedy's concerns since he became the Secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services at the beginning of Trump's second presidential term.

According to claims made by Kennedy, SSRIs such as Zoloft and Prozac have been overprescribed to younger patients, including children. Per NBC News, Kennedy once stated, "I know people, including members of my family, who've had a much worse time getting off SSRIs than people have getting off heroin." However, according to WebMD, though they can cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped abruptly, SSRIs are not addictive. And for many people — whether or not they work for bosses who call them late at night – SSRIs help them control their anxiety.