Protect Our Care alleges that President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have broken key promises to the Make America Healthy Again movement by restoring glyphosate production, delaying food-safety enforcement, and rolling back PFAS limits. The report links industry donations to regulatory decisions and highlights public frustration: roughly 37% approve of Kennedy, and many rural MAHA supporters say policies have had no positive health impact. Democrats are now trying to court MAHA voters ahead of the midterms as activists express feeling betrayed.
New Report: Trump and RFK Jr. Accused Of Breaking 'Make America Healthy Again' Promises
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office on Sept.18, 2026. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
A new analysis by the advocacy group Protect Our Care, shared exclusively with HuffPost, accuses President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of failing to deliver on commitments to the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement. The report says administration policies over the past two years have favored industry interests over the reforms MAHA supporters expected on food safety, chemical regulation and public health.
Key Allegations
Protect Our Care's critique highlights several policy decisions the group says undermined MAHA priorities. The report cites a February White House executive order that restored domestic production of glyphosate-based herbicides, continued approval of the pesticide atrazine, and a rollback in May of Biden-era limits on PFAS "forever chemicals" in drinking water. It also flags a Justice Department amicus brief supporting Monsanto in a Supreme Court matter as a move that angered MAHA activists.
“Donald Trump and RFK Jr. keep treating MAHA activists like disposable political pawns, and now wonder why many resent it,” Protect Our Care President Brad Woodhouse told HuffPost. “There's not one MAHA promise Trump hasn't been willing to break once the checks clear from his big chemical, food and tobacco donors.”
Food-Safety Concerns And Industry Influence
The report links industry donations to regulatory decisions. It points to a $1 million donation from food company Taylor Farms to a Trump-aligned super PAC and the administration's delay of a food-contamination tracing rule. Taylor Farms was later tied to a large cyclosporiasis outbreak that sickened more than 11,000 Americans and hospitalized hundreds. Protect Our Care argues these developments reflect a weaker regulatory stance and increased food-safety risk.
Public Reaction And Polling
Polling cited in the report shows limited public approval for Kennedy’s performance: recent data indicate roughly 37% of Americans approve of him as HHS secretary. An Associated Press/KFF poll referenced by the analysis found that about half of rural voters identify with MAHA, yet nearly 80% said the Trump administration's policies had either no effect or a negative effect on Americans' health.
MAHA Supporters Say They Feel Betrayed
MAHA activists and affiliated groups reacted strongly to the administration's moves. Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America described the glyphosate order as “a betrayal,” and other influencers and organizers have criticized rollbacks on chemical limits and uneven progress on commitments to curb ultra-processed foods and food dyes.
Political Stakes Ahead Of Midterms
Protect Our Care published the report about a month before midterm elections, framing the vote as a referendum on the administration’s health agenda. Democrats are actively courting MAHA supporters: groups aligned with Democratic campaigns have run ads targeting the administration’s record, and lawmakers such as Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Jim McGovern have proposed or voiced initiatives that echo MAHA concerns about chronic disease, chemicals and food policy.
White House Response: White House spokesperson Allison Schuster told HuffPost the administration remains committed to working with MAHA advocates to ensure a healthier future for the next generation. An HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Photo note: Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office on Sept. 18, 2026.
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