Why does RFK Jr. sound shaky? Explaining his vocal disorder
Why does RFK Jr. sound shaky? Explaining his vocal disorder
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAYThu, April 23, 2026 at 10:42 PM UTC
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If you've flipped on a news channel or scrolled through social media this week, you've likely seen questions about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's voice.
The secretary's recent testimony in Senate hearings has reignited curiosity about his distinct speech pattern, which at times can sound shaky or halting. Kennedy has spoken at length about the disorder that causes his voice to waver, saying in a June 2023 News Nation broadcast that he began noticing vocal changes in his 40s before being diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia.
"I had a very, very strong voice until I was 46 years old. It was unusually strong. Even at that time, I was making a lot of my income doing public speaking,” he said. "In 1996, when I was 42 years old, I got struck with a neurological disease, an injury, called spasmodic dysphonia that makes my voice tremble."
He continued, "At the time, I didn’t know what was wrong with it. But when I would go on TV, people would write me letters and say, ‘You have spasmodic dysphonia.' It makes it problematic for people to listen to me. I cannot listen to myself on TV. I will never listen to this broadcast."
Kennedy said the search for treatment led him to Japan in early 2023, where he underwent what he described as a "novel" surgery that made his voice "much better."
Kennedy is among thousands in the United States alone who have the disorder, which can impact speech on varying levels.
Here's what to know about the condition.
1 / 0From the DNC to HHS: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s political career in photos
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands silently as Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaks during an event to "Celebrate the Implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans" at the Health and Human Services Headquarters on Feb.11, 2026 in Washington, DC. HHS Secretary RFK Jr. celebrated the guidelines and the Make America Healthy Again movement with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, U.S. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia, American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala, Chef Andrew Gruel, Defense Department Undersecretary Mike Obadal, and Bureau of Prisons Director William Marshall.
What is spasmodic dysphonia?
Spasmodic dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dystonia, is a neurological speech disorder that impacts the ability to speak and control the voice. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is considered a "rare" disorder, impacting about 500,000 people nationwide.
Symptoms usually start between the ages of 30 and 60 and can include inconsistent changes to the voice that "come and go," according to the Cleveland Clinic. These are caused by uncontrolled spasms of the vocal cords, which affect the ability to produce a consistent sound.
Your vocal cords, or folds, are located inside the larynx, sometimes colloquially called the "voice box," positioned in your throat. Usually, air is pushed from the lungs and through the folds, which vibrate in a controlled pattern when you speak to produce sound, as explained by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
With spasmodic dysphonia, the area of your brain responsible for involuntary muscle movement, called the basal ganglia, is affected. When that area sends faulty messages to the body, uncontrollable movements called spasms can affect various muscles. In the case of spasmodic dysphonia, vibration of the folds within the larynx can cause them to come together too tightly or loosely, creating a strained voice or weak, breathy sound, explains the Cleveland Clinic.
While there is no known "cause" for spasmodic dysphonia, up to 1 in 4 cases have a family history of the disorder. Women are also up to three times more likely to be diagnosed.
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There are three types of the disorder, according to ASHA, NIDCD and Cleveland Clinic:
Adductor spasmodic dysphonia: The most common form caused by tightness in the cords, resulting in a "strained" or "hoarse" speaking voice.
Abductor spasmodic dysphonia: Caused by the vocal cords coming together too loosely, resulting in a weak or breathy sound.
Mixed spasmodic dysphonia: The rarest form of the disorder, in which symptoms of both other types are combined.
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on "proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Health and Human Services" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 22, 2026.Spasmodic dysphonia symptoms and treatment
The most common symptom of all three types of spasmodic dysphonia is a vocal tremor or "shaky" voice. Other common symptoms depend on the type, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and include a voice that sounds:
Strained and tight
Hoarse and raspy
Breathy, soft or like you’re whispering
Broken because certain sounds cut off while you’re speaking
Shaky or trembling
Changes to the voice can come on rapidly, but often start slowly or sporadically. Stress and exhaustion can make symptoms worse, according to ASHA and the Cleveland Clinic, and can be exacerbated by vocal stress, such as speaking over a crowd in a noisy place or over the phone.
Spasmodic dysphonia generally only impacts the speaking voice, meaning other vocalizations like singing, laughing and whispering are generally unaffected.
Because the disorder is chronic, it persists through life and has no specific cure. Common therapies and treatments include Botox injections, which block nerve signals that cause spasms; voice therapy, which is often paired with Botox; and surgical options.
In some cases, people with spasmodic dysphonia may use communication aids or devices, such as those that translate text to speech.
Other public figures, celebs with spasmodic dysphonia
While Kennedy's struggle with spasmodic dysphonia has come to the forefront since he joined the Trump administration, he is not the only person in the public eye to have shared the diagnosis.
In 2019, actress Selma Blair said her multiple sclerosis led to spasmodic dysphonia, pointing out in an interview with Good Morning America that her voice sounded shakier than usual.
Beloved NPR radio personality Diane Rehm hosted a news talk program with three million weekly listeners from 1979 to 2016, despite a spasmodic dysphonia diagnosis in 1998.
Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC fame was diagnosed with the condition in 1997, but continued a successful career. He was in good company alongside other musicians, such as country singer Johnny Bush, British singer-songwriter Linda Thompson and singer Jimmie Rodgers.
The late creator of the comic series "Dilbert," Scott Adams, likewise shared his own diagnosis and recovery with NBC in 2006.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What condition does RFK Jr. have? Here's why his voice 'trembles'
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