Russell Brand and Dr. Oz Face Backlash Over Joke About Hugging Trump Cabinet Member

Russell Brand and Dr. Oz draw criticism after joke about hugging female Trump official at MAHA summit amid ongoing rape allegations.

Editorial Desk

September 30, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — British comedian Russell Brand, facing multiple rape and sexual assault charges, joined Dr. Mehmet Oz in making a joke about hugging a female member of Donald Trump’s Cabinet during a panel at the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) summit.

Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, mentioned that Brand had hugged Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins backstage, suggesting the event had reached a new level. Brand responded by claiming the woman had initiated the contact, a remark that appeared to reference his own legal troubles involving sexual misconduct allegations.

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The crowd remained largely unamused, offering only a few chuckles. The summit, which included Vice President JD Vance and others, concluded with a fireside chat. Brand has been charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault in England, including incidents from the late 1990s and early 2000s, with a trial set to begin in October.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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