The health revolution is dead as Trump and RFK Jr. host $25,000 Mar-a-Lago dinners for the same Big Pharma lobbyists they promised to exile
They did a 180
A combination of many factors contributed to President Donald Trump’s re-election for a second term last year. Among them, the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, spearheaded by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., played a prominent role, as did those associated with it. However, it appears that people aligned with the cause are no longer willing to put their faith in the hands of RFK Jr. and, by extension, Trump, who supported it.
According to a report by Protect Our Care (a non-profit organization), people aligned with the MAHA movement are miffed with RKF Jr. and Trump for failing to deliver on their promises to “take on Big Food, Big Ag (Agriculture), and Big Chemical.” Instead, they have accused Trump and RKF Jr. of delivering “a steady diet of broken promises, corporate quid pro quos, and foodborne illnesses.”
This growing dissatisfaction is reflected in the numbers, with the source noting that RKF Jr.’s approval rating plummeted to a mere 37 percent. Public trust in federal health information has also dropped significantly to just 16%, while outbreaks of foodborne illness are on the rise. Cancer-linked chemicals have reappeared on the market, food safety agencies have been weakened, and families are facing higher grocery bills they are struggling to keep up with.
Key accusations against RFK Jr. by people involved in the MAHA movement
The Protect Our Core report outlines grievances from MAHA supporters against RFK Jr. One area where MAHA broke with support for both RFK Jr. and Trump involved pesticides and chemicals, including glyphosate.
In February, despite MAHA’s objections, RFK Jr. endorsed Trump’s order to restore glyphosate production, a herbicide linked to cancer. On June 25, in Monsanto v. Durnell, the Supreme Court sided with industry and Trump, shielding chemical makers from glyphosate cancer liability, despite MAHA’s opposition and the Justice Department’s backing of Monsanto.
Another area where MAHA broke with RFK Jr. and Trump is concerns about capture by the food and tobacco industries. According to the report, RFK Jr.’s promise to phase out harmful dyes used in certain food products remains unfulfilled, and the implementation timeline has been continually pushed back. The result? Leading food corporations like Coca-Cola, Mondelez, and Unilever have yet to make firm commitments on dye use, and no pharmaceutical companies have promised to eliminate dyes from their medications.
MAHA also distanced itself from RFK Jr. and Trump over unfulfilled promises to stop corporate dominance in Big Pharma. The report noted, “Kennedy Promised To “End The Corporate Capture,” But He Dines With Big Pharma At MarA-Lago.”
The report claimed that during his swearing-in, RFK Jr. promised to end corruption and curb Big Pharma’s corporate influence over the agency. However, just days after his appointment as HHS Secretary, a Super PAC supporting Kennedy was reportedly charging $25,000 per person for cocktails and dinner with him at Mar-a-Lago.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
