The decorative Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington recently played host to an unlikely assembly of health influencers, organic farmers, and anti-vaccine activists celebrating the official opening of the MAHA Institute a new era in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. Tightly connected to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and now entrenched in the Trump administration’s second term, MAHA is advocating dramatic overhaul in US health policy.
MAHA’s ascendance has united a combination of wellness activists and MAGA die-hards. But insiders warn escalating tensions between Kennedy’s MAHA wing and old-line Trump allies are putting the coalition under stress. Conflicts have raged over how to respond to a measles outbreak and Kennedy’s selection for surgeon general holistic health activist Dr. Casey Means who some MAHA members claim has not taken a strong enough position on vaccine safety.
Kennedy has populated HHS leadership positions with Covid-era critics like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Marty Makary, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, all of whom have embraced contentious positions on public health. These “renegades,” as Kennedy denotes them, are implementing a sweeping transformation of the $3 trillion agency, such as budget reductions and extensive firings, which has prompted many seasoned officials to resign.
Tensions have also risen over Kennedy’s influential chief of staff, Stefanie Spear, who has centralized agency communications and limited internal feedback attracting criticism from both the HHS staff and the White House at key moments such as the measles crisis.
In spite of internal divisions and a dwindling team, MAHA-aligned appointees are now in key positions in health agencies. Though Trump’s staff applauds Kennedy’s crusade against chronic disease, doubts remain as to how far the MAHA vision can extend without breaking up general conservative cohesion.
