Cody Rhodes Slammed – ‘MAGA Rhodes,’ ‘F**king Sellout’

Cody Rhodes has found himself at the center of a social media backlash after appearing alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a youth fitness event.

Rhodes, who is one of WWE’s most recognizable stars and is positioned as one of the company’s top babyfaces, shared photos from the event on social media. Kennedy Jr. was also in attendance as part of the Trump administration’s push to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test.

According to reports, WWE stars Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio and Charlotte Flair participated in the October 1 event at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. The initiative was designed to promote physical fitness among young people, with Kennedy Jr. announcing a $10 million competition encouraging schools and youth organizations to implement the fitness program.

Rhodes did not make a political endorsement in his post. Instead, he focused entirely on the children participating in the fitness activities. He wrote,

“Push ups and sit ups and planks and shuttle runs and pull ups and me blown away by these kids today! Thank you @HHSGov 💪”

Nevertheless, the photo of Rhodes with Kennedy Jr. sparked a strong reaction from portions of the wrestling community. Some fans interpreted the appearance as an association with the Trump administration, while others argued that Rhodes was simply participating in a youth fitness initiative without making a political statement. For what it’s worth, Rhodes has never associated himself with Trump.

Social media reactions included comments such as “F**king Sellout” and “MAGA Rhodes,” while another fan wrote, “Ppl will see this and somehow say he’s not maga lol.”

The controversy largely stems from Kennedy Jr.’s prominent role in the Trump administration and his longstanding positions on vaccines and other medical issues. His views have attracted significant criticism from medical and public-health communities, including renewed scrutiny following his September appearance at an anti-vaccine conference.

Kennedy serves as Secretary of Health to Donald Trump, despite not being a doctor, not having any medical background, and sharing health conspiracy theories.

Linda McMahon was also in attendance. McMahon is the Secretary of Education despite having no background in Education and previously lying about her qualifications.

McMahon infamously lied about having a degree in Education to get a role on Connecticut’s Board of Education. Her degree is actually in French.

The specific event Rhodes attended was centered on youth fitness rather than an explicitly political rally. Kennedy Jr. described the initiative as an effort to encourage children to become more physically active, while Rhodes told students at the event, “This is about turning the screens off, being accountable and showing your capability.”

The WWE connection to the Presidential Fitness Test is also not new. Rhodes, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, Charlotte Flair and other WWE figures have participated in events promoting the initiative throughout 2026.

Regardless, Rhodes’ latest social media post has reignited debate among WWE fans about the company’s increasingly visible connections to government-backed fitness initiatives and figures associated with the Trump administration. While Triple H says that WWE doesn’t get involved in politics, recaps of these events are appearing more and more on WWE television these days.

For now, Rhodes has not publicly described his appearance with Kennedy Jr. as a political endorsement.

NOTE: If you have any news tips or podcast recaps that you’d like to send in for us to post (full credit will be given to you), please email me at [email protected].