MAHA idealism meets political reality as RFK Jr. attempts to wrangle a growing movement

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s rising influence as health secretary is facing internal discord within his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, threatening the unity of a coalition that has become a vital asset for President Donald Trump’s administration.

At a glitzy Washington event celebrating Kennedy’s accomplishments, the health secretary received praise from the vice president and technology executives. However, online, a different narrative unfolded as former employees and supporters criticized top Trump administration advisers, claiming they were undermining Kennedy’s original vision.

“MAHA is not MAHA anymore,” said Gray Delany, a former Department of Health and Human Services official who was ousted in August. “What I’ve heard of what’s happening today is not the MAHA that we signed up for.”

The criticism grew loud enough that Kennedy took to social media to defend his colleagues, exposing fractures within his coalition as it expands in scope and influence. Environmental advocates and vaccine skeptics who helped propel Kennedy into politics have grown impatient with what they perceive as inadequate action on their priorities. Many are wary of the Health Department’s apparent willingness to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies and other corporations they distrust.

These divisions threaten a movement that has given Trump an important ally and Republicans access to new voter demographics. The tensions mirror similar fractures developing in Trump’s own Make America Great Again movement over issues like the Epstein files and the administration’s focus on global diplomacy.

Despite internal strife, MAHA enjoys broad public support. Approximately two-thirds of Americans expressed support for the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative in a June Ipsos poll.

“MAHA’s growth is a sign of its success,” said HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon. “Secretary Kennedy is leading a broad coalition to make Americans healthier, guided by transparency, accountability and measurable results. The movement’s meaning hasn’t changed and it’s stronger than ever.”

Public health researchers note that the universal appeal of improving Americans’ health can also create conflicts by attracting competing interests.

“This is a tale as old as time in politics,” explained Matt Motta, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health. “The bigger your tent is, the harder it can be to make everyone happy.”

Kennedy has taken several actions to curtail vaccines since assuming office, including withdrawing $500 million for vaccine development, replacing every member of a federal vaccine advisory committee, and pledging to overhaul a federal program for compensating Americans injured by vaccines. Recently, the CDC changed its website to contradict the scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism, a move that pleased Kennedy’s anti-vaccine supporters.

However, many in the “health freedom” movement say these actions aren’t sufficient. Some demand punishments for companies that profited from vaccine and mask requirements during the pandemic, while others want mRNA-based COVID-19 shots removed from the market, despite scientific evidence showing they have saved millions of lives.

Last week, MAHA influencers and fired HHS employees suggested White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Kennedy’s adviser Stefanie Spear were conspiring to limit Kennedy’s ability to restrict vaccines and regulate pharmaceutical companies. Kennedy defenders pointed to Wiles’ past work with a lobbying firm representing Pfizer as evidence of undermining Kennedy’s agenda.

Kennedy responded by defending his colleagues on social media, calling Wiles “no better friend in Washington” and noting that Spear has become a Trump loyalist. “Let’s focus on our extraordinary achievements to date and the monumental work that still needs to be done,” Kennedy wrote. “Let’s build our coalition instead of splintering it.”

Since its inception on the campaign trail, the MAHA movement has expanded considerably, welcoming anyone concerned about Americans’ health, nutrition, and chronic disease. This broad approach has attracted diverse interests, including health data startups, AI firms, drug manufacturers, and even fast-food companies like Steak ‘n Shake, which promoted its beef tallow-cooked fries as part of the MAHA movement.

The recent Washington event featured biotech companies like CRISPR Therapeutics and Regeneron, brain-computer interface company Neuralink, and various AI and health startups, raising concerns among Kennedy’s traditional supporters.

“I was not thrilled about some of the people who were there,” said Leslie Manookian, president of the Health Freedom Defense Fund. “I don’t think that we make America healthy again through pills, creams, injections, pharmaceuticals, chips, monitors, devices.”

Tony Lyons, president of MAHA Action, defended the inclusivity, saying the movement’s strength “comes from its openness to ideas, from its dedication to including all voices, all perspectives.”

Kennedy has carefully navigated his messaging while working with industry. At a recent Oval Office meeting, he joined Trump in announcing a deal with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices of weight-loss drugs, despite his previous skepticism about such medications.

Several core supporters acknowledge the challenges of reforming entrenched bureaucracy, even as they hope Kennedy will remove toxins from food and the environment and further restrict vaccines. At a meeting with western governors, Kennedy clarified he doesn’t intend to eliminate access to vaccines.

Jeffrey Tucker, founder of the Brownstone Institute, cautioned that MAHA activists can be idealistic but sometimes naive about government reform difficulties. “It’s very important to hold on to your ideals,” he said. “But if you’re doing nothing but throwing rocks, then you can become a problem.”

Professor Motta noted that regardless of MAHA’s future direction, it has already transcended specific policy positions. “Identities do not go away easily,” he said. “They are deeply held; they are deeply integrated into our sense of self. And I would be shocked if this was a movement that faded.”