why is rfk jr voice like that

RFK Jr. speaks with a notably raspy, strained voice due to a neurological voice disorder. The most commonly cited explanation is spasmodic dysphonia, a condition in which the muscles that control the vocal cords involuntarily spasm, producing a voice that sounds tight, shaky, or broken at times. Some sources describe fluctuations in quality—moments of effortful, hoarse speech interspersed with softer or breathier segments—due to how the spasms affect different parts of the vocal mechanism during speech. RFK Jr. himself has discussed having this condition for decades, with symptoms that have impacted his ability to address large audiences without amplification. Consequently, the distinctive vocal character is not a simple matter of accent, emotion, or mood, but a chronic neurological issue that alters how the voice functions over time. If you’d like, I can provide a short, plain-language summary of spasmodic dysphonia and how it specifically affects speech patterns.