Calley Means, a leading figure in the Make America Healthy Again movement, resigned Thursday, leaving the Trump administration less than two weeks before the midterms following reported frustrations over stalled policy priorities.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Means, a senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “quit his role on Thursday.” He told the outlet he would continue to fight for the MAHA agenda.
The outlet said Means, 41, was “greatly frustrated by White House delays of some of Kennedy’s most popular policy ideas and blamed others in the administration for allowing food companies and special interests to have too much sway,” citing people familiar with the matter. Another person said Means had become “disillusioned.”
Means said in a statement that he has “tremendous respect” for President Trump and Kennedy, and thanked them for laying out a vision to combat the “dark forces in DC” that profit from sick Americans.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE MIDTERM HUB
“More policy and cultural change has happened around these goals in the past 2 years than any time in history — and I know this movement is just getting started,” Means said.
“It was an honor to advocate for MAHA moms in the administration and steer policies like Dietary Guidelines reform, psychedelic reform, removing soda from SNAP, removing food dyes, GRAS reform, and overhauling government food procurement,” he added.
Means was widely seen as one of MAHA’s most important allies in the White House. He helped revise dietary guidelines and the inverted food pyramid, pushed for more transparency on food ingredients, and helped shape the White House’s executive order on psychedelics and a voluntary phaseout of several petroleum-based food dyes.
His departure follows complaints from MAHA supporters about slow progress on food policy, pesticides, and vaccines. Means reportedly argued with the administration over delays to a federal definition of ultra-processed foods.
Alex Voetberg, a prominent voice in MAHA and host of “Culture Apothecary,” said the movement has “suffered a major blow.”
“You should know that Calley is literally the Godfather of the MAHA movement and worked TIRELESSLY to fight for us. We owe him so much thanks,” she said in an X post.
“The reason behind his departure should be setting off alarm bells for everyone who cares about the future of our children’s health,” she added.
.png)
.png)
