RFK Jr smash Hulk: Trump secretary offers brutal diagnosis of Marvel star Mark Ruffalo after texting feud

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. diagnosed actor Mark Ruffalo with a severe case of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” following a recent text message dispute between the two men.During an appearance on the Fly Zone USA podcast, Kennedy claimed that the Marvel star was angry with him over his political alignment, Mediaite reported. When the host, Christian Mathis, clarified if Kennedy was referring to the Marvel Avengers star, Kennedy confirmed the interaction and detailed their private messages.According to Kennedy, Ruffalo texted him stating, “You’re working for the stupidest man in America.”Kennedy addressed the criticism on the podcast, admitting he previously held a similar view of President Donald Trump before working closely with him.“Now you can say a lot about Trump — and a lot of Democrats believe he’s stupid — and I actually at one point believed that,” Kennedy said. “I believed he’s very superficial; he probably hasn’t read a book. Now that I know him, he has like an encyclopedic mind.” Mark Ruffalo is well known for playing the green-skinned Hulk (pictured as his Madame Tussaud’s wax incarnation) in Marvel’s Avengers films — and he brought some of his anti-Trump rage to a text exchange with Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently. (Getty Images)Kennedy went on to praise the president’s range of knowledge, stating that Trump understood Wall Street financial structures, sports, theater, music and foreign policy in high detail. “He knows everything about Wall Street, who made their money, how they made the money, what the deals look like,” Kennedy said. Ruffalo has a long history of public opposition to Trump. During a 2025 interview with MS NOW at a “No Kings” rally, the actor asserted that Trump had “made himself a king and dictator.”Trump dismissed the characterization last year, telling reporters on Air Force One that he was not a king but worked hard to improve the country, as reported by The Hill.Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. diagnosed Mark Ruffalo (pictured as The Hulk) with ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ following a recent text message dispute (Marvel Studios)Kennedy defended the president by praising his grasp on a wide array of industries and subjects. The secretary claimed Trump can out-talk critics on everything from Wall Street financial structures to theater, sports and foreign policy (Getty)The text exchange follows years of public criticism directed at Trump by Ruffalo. As reported by The Independent in January, Ruffalo labeled Trump the “worst human being” during a red carpet appearance at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles.At that event, Ruffalo and other celebrities wore promotional buttons supporting the “Be Good” campaign, an initiative backed by the ACLU and the National Domestic Workers Alliance to protest immigration enforcement actions. Speaking to USA Today on the red carpet, Ruffalo referenced recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela and heavily criticized Trump’s character.“The only thing that matters to him is his own morality, but the guy is a convicted felon; a convicted rapist,” Ruffalo told reporters at the time. “He’s a pedophile.” The text exchange follows years of highly public broadsides directed at the Trump administration by the activist actor. During a red carpet appearance at the Golden Globes, Ruffalo labeled Trump the ‘worst human being’ while protesting immigration enforcement (Getty)Trump has never been charged with or convicted of a criminal sex offense, including pedophilia.Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May 2024. In a separate 2024 civil suit, a jury found Trump liable for the sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll, who has since received $5.6 million in damages following the Supreme Court's refusal to hear Trump’s appeal. Trump continues to appeal a separate $83 million defamation judgment awarded to Carroll in a related trial. Following those red carpet remarks, the White House directed The Independent to a public statement by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. Cheung dismissed the criticisms on social media, calling Ruffalo “one of the worst actors in the business” and saying the activist was spreading falsehoods.