Maha vs MAGA: Feud Escalates as Trump EPA Eases Rules on Toxic Chemicals

Maha Vs MAGA: Petition Demands Removal Of EPA Chief Lee Zeldin

Leaders of the Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-aligned 'Make America Healthy Again' (Maha) movement have launched a petition asking President Donald Trump to remove Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin. Appointed in late January, Zeldin has moved quickly to roll back regulations on toxic chemicals and to fast-track certain pesticide approvals, fueling a public dispute between Maha activists and MAGA-aligned officials.

The petition, backed by roughly a dozen prominent Maha influencers including Zen Honeycutt, Kelly Ryerson and Vani Hari, accuses Zeldin of prioritizing industry interests over public health. It frames the controversy as a contradiction with the administration's stated commitment to 'Make America Healthy Again.'

'Rather than supporting your initiative to "Make America Healthy Again," Administrator Zeldin has prioritized the interests of chemical corporations over the wellbeing of American families and children,' the petition states.

Maha leaders point to several recent EPA actions they oppose: proposed rules that would reduce scrutiny of new and existing chemicals; the appointment of four chemical industry executives to senior posts in the agency's chemicals office; continued permitting of dicamba, a pesticide banned in many other countries; and a shift toward evaluating PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called "forever chemicals") on a case-by-case basis rather than treating related compounds as a class.

The petition warns these policy changes could contribute to higher rates of chronic disease, increased medical costs, and greater strain on the U.S. health-care system.

An EPA spokesperson defended the agency's record, saying that Administrator Zeldin 'has been working closely with President Trump and Secretary Kennedy to implement policies to Make America Healthy Again.' The agency also attributed some of the criticism to what it described as misinformation that misrepresents legal and historical regulatory decisions.

Maha figures counter that many critics come from within the president's own coalition and are not solely partisan opponents. Supporters say Zeldin could defuse tensions by reversing the 2023 change in how the EPA defines PFAS and by restoring stricter oversight of chemicals used in pesticides.

The petition concludes by urging the president to remove Zeldin and appoint a successor who will 'genuinely defend public health and truly put America first,' and it thanks the president for his attention to the nation's health and prosperity.