WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named his deputy, Jim O&#8217;Neill, as acting director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after ousting the former director less than a month into her tenure.
President Donald Trump fired on Wednesday CDC Director Susan Monarez after she resisted changes to vaccine policy advanced by Kennedy that she believed contradicted scientific evidence, further destabilizing the already embattled agency.
&#8220;Together, we will rebuild this institution into what it was always meant to be: a guardian of America&#8217;s health and security,&#8221; Kennedy wrote on Thursday in a memo to CDC staff seen by Reuters. &#8220;To help advance this mission, I am pleased to announce that Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O&#8217;Neill is now also serving as Acting Director of the CDC.&#8221;
Monarez&#8217;s firing triggered the resignations of four senior CDC officials who cited anti-vaccine policies and misinformation pushed by Kennedy and his team.
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The CDC has faced mounting challenges under Kennedy&#8217;s leadership, including a shooting at its Atlanta headquarters earlier this month. The union representing CDC workers said the incident &#8220;compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured.&#8221;
The White House sought to cut the agency&#8217;s budget by almost $3.6 billion, leaving it with a $4 billion 2026 budget, and Kennedy announced a layoff plan earlier this year that cut 2,400 CDC employees, though some 700 were rehired.
O&#8217;Neill, prior to his confirmation as Kennedy&#8217;s second in command, served as a health policy adviser with ties to several healthcare companies.
He also managed one of tech billionaire and Trump-backer Peter Thiel&#8217;s venture capital firms, Mithril Capital Management, from 2012 to 2019. O&#8217;Neill also served as chief executive of his philanthropic Thiel Foundation and as a managing director at Thiel Capital.
(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Diane Craft)

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

RFK Jr. Appoints Deputy Jim O’Neill As Interim CDC Director After Monarez Ouster

Health

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Trump administration said Wednesday that it had fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez because she was “not aligned&#8221; with the president&#8217;s agenda of &#8220;Making America Healthy Again.&#8221; 
Lawyers for Monarez, who has directed the CDC for less than a month, stated that she would not leave, claiming she had not been adequately informed of her removal. Monarez also alleged that she was being “targeted” for refusing to follow a “political agenda.”
The Department of Health and Human Services <a href="https://x.com/HHSGov/status/1960818490614415869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Wednesday afternoon that Monarez was no longer part of the agency.
&#8220;Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,&#8221; HHS posted on X. &#8220;We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people. [Secretary Kennedy] has full confidence in his team at the [CDC] who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.&#8221;
The removal came after Monarez did not commit to rescinding approvals for certain COVID vaccines when pressed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/27/susan-monarez-cdc-director-ousted/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=wp_the7-tracking-trump&amp;carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F4468879%2F68af893f3816071e609ae717%2F64467e96035e7012142988e7%2F16%2F56%2F68af893f3816071e609ae717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The outlet added that Monarez turned to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Labor, and Pensions, for help while facing pressure from Kennedy.
Cassidy <a href="https://x.com/SenBillCassidy/status/1960895774079799344">said</a> on X that Monarez&#8217;s &#8220;high profile departure&#8221; will require &#8220;oversight&#8221; from his committee.
In response to the announcement from HHS, lawyer Mark Zaid said that Monarez had no intention of leaving the position. 
&#8220;When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda,&#8221; Zaid said. &#8220;For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign.&#8221;
Monarez is also represented by Abbe Lowell, who represents Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. Trump recently fired Cook, who is likewise refusing to leave her position.
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White House spokesman Kush Desai responded to the accusations, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-monarez-kennedy-vaccines.html">saying</a> Monarez had been &#8220;terminated&#8221; because she was “not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again.” 
Zaid <a href="https://x.com/MarkSZaidEsq/status/1960914637219893636">said</a> the White House had provided a “legally deficient” notification of Monarez’s removal from the CDC. 
“Our client was notified tonight by White House staff in the personnel office that she was fired. As a presidential appointee, senate confirmed (sic) officer, only the president himself can fire her,” he posted on X. 
Monarez was confirmed by the Senate 51-47 on July 29.
At least three other top CDC staffers have resigned in protest following the Trump administration’s move to oust Monarez. Those departing include Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, Director of the National Centers for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Debra Houry, the agency’s chief medical officer.
The FDA rolled out new guidelines for the COVID vaccine on Wednesday, approving its use for those 65 and older and limiting approval for those between the ages of 5 and 64.

Senate HELP Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing For CDC Director Nominee Susan Monarez

White House Fires CDC Director Following COVID Vaccine Showdown

bill Cassidy

Covid vaccine

Department of Health and Human Services

Trump Administration

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday started to publicly report adverse events to drugs and some vaccines in real time, a change FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said promotes &#8220;radical transparency.&#8221;
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System, known as FAERS, is what the FDA uses as its primary database for collecting adverse event reports related to medication errors, prescription drugs, and some vaccines &#8212; though the main database for vaccine adverse event reports is known as VAERS. The reports are collected from health care professionals, manufacturers, and consumers.
The FAERS public dashboard is available to <a href="https://fis.fda.gov/sense/app/95239e26-e0be-42d9-a960-9a5f7f1c25ee/sheet/7a47a261-d58b-4203-a8aa-6d3021737452/state/analysis">access online</a>.
“Adverse event reporting should be fast, seamless and transparent,” Makary said in a statement. “People who navigate the government’s clunky adverse event reporting websites should not have to wait months for that information to become public. We’re closing that waiting period and will continue to streamline the process from start to finish.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Starting today, the FDA will disclose adverse events publicly in real time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/radicaltransparency?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#radicaltransparency</a> <a href="https://t.co/WLN38ivs1m">https://t.co/WLN38ivs1m</a>
— Dr. Marty Makary (@DrMakaryFDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA/status/1959010367432020013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
In a press release, the FDA, which is a branch of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the change &#8220;represents a significant step forward in modernizing the agency’s safety monitoring infrastructure and demonstrates our commitment to real-time protection of public health.&#8221;
&#8220;The shift is one of many steps in the FDA&#8217;s broader data modernization strategy to streamline all of its adverse event reporting systems and increase reporting frequency across all systems to identify safety signals faster,&#8221; the press release added.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who leads HHS, has made a number of changes concerning therapeutics and vaccinations. Most notably, the secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-names-new-members-to-vax-board-including-critics-of-covid-measures?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Names+New+Members+To+Vax+Board%2C+Including+Critics+Of+COVID+Measures">gutted</a> the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, back in June. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-guts-cdc-vaccine-panel-retiring-all-17-members?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Guts+CDC+Vaccine+Panel%2C+%E2%80%98Retiring%E2%80%99+All+17+Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly influential vaccine panel</a>, Kennedy argued, was plagued with conflicts of interest before he took action.
New members on ACIP include Dr. Robert Malone, who worked on early research for mRNA vaccine technology and is a vocal critic of the mRNA COVID vaccines, as well as other medical experts who took dissenting positions from the medical establishment during the COVID pandemic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On Monday, I took a major step towards restoring public trust in vaccines by reconstituting the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). I retired the 17 current members of the committee. I’m now repopulating ACIP with the eight new members who will attend ACIP’s…
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1932899858920120692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-takes-on-new-york-over-vax-mandate-and-wins?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Teen+Takes+On+New+York+Over+Vax+Mandate+—+And+Wins">Teen Takes On New York Over Vax Mandate — And Wins</a>

HHS Secretary Kennedy Holds News Conference On Synthetic Dyes In Food Supply

RFK Jr Makes Another Major Change To Boost ‘Radical Transparency’

U.S.

Vaccines

Actor Chris Pratt praised President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging people not to let their negative feelings about Trump cloud their view of Kennedy.
The 46-year-old “Guardians of the Galaxy” star said during a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast that he “spent a number of occasions” with RFK Jr. in a “strictly family dinner kind of vibe.” 
“I really got along with him well and think he’s great. He’s funny, he’s wonderful. I love him,” the superhero film star admitted.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Chris Pratt | Club Random" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/56M4_TvQkBA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Politics, it’s a nasty business,” Pratt continued. “There’s a certain level to this in Hollywood because&#8230; I’ve seen how the person you are can be such a contrast to the person that people being are told that you are, and you can go, ‘Wow, that is pure fiction.’… The person that you are can be sometimes in stark contrast with the person your enemy is saying you are. In politics, you inherit enemies. When you jump on the bandwagon with the most divisive president ever, it makes sense that you’re going to be made to look terrible.”
“I don’t know what to believe [about RFK Jr.],” he said. “It’s not like I say to [him], ‘Let’s talk about this’ while we’re playing cards or having fun or having dinner. I’m not going to pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true. I just assume that none of them are? For the most part, I wish him well.”
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Pratt went on to praise Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiative. 
He said, “There’s certain things [that Kennedy] oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way, like getting terrible toxic stuff out of our kids’ food.”
“I think that’s a great thing. If you just do that, that’s amazing. I’d hate to be so mired in hatred for the president that any success from his administration is something I’d be having an allergic reaction to,” Pratt said. “To be like, ‘Oh, well, if they do it, I don’t want it to happen. I’ll put Clorox in my children’s cereal myself!’ It’s like, be reasonable here. There’s certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful.”
Pratt, who is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter, Katherine, has not publicized his political leanings. He alluded to the country needing unity in the days leading up to the contentious 2024 election.
“How do we become a nation of honorable winners and graceful losers? It starts with remembering no matter who wins or loses, there are still going to be people who need help in this country. Find them. Be of service,” he <a href="https://www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/chris-pratt-op-ed/">wrote</a> at the time.

Chris Pratt

Actor Chris Pratt Defends RFK Jr.’s MAHA Agenda: ‘Be Reasonable’

Actor Chris Pratt Defends RFK Jr.'s MAHA Agenda: 'Be Reasonable'

Bill Maher

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Entertainment

MAHA

In a show of grit and camaraderie, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled the &#8220;Pete and Bobby Challenge&#8221; on Monday with a Pentagon gym showdown.
The duo released a high-energy video urging Americans to test themselves with 100 push-ups and 50 pull-ups against the clock—a fitness feat that saw Hegseth, 45, narrowly edge out the 71-year-old Kennedy, while military personnel in the room crushed the same routine.
&#8220;We had our Pete and Bobby challenge today, 50 pull-ups. 100 push-ups. You try to get under five minutes,&#8221; Kennedy explained, calling the five-minute goal the top standard. “Pete and I are going to do our part and encourage America’s youth to do this challenge&#8230;in any order you want in less than 10 minutes.”
Hegseth, a battle-tested veteran, completed the challenge in 5:25, while Kennedy, who wore blue jeans, finished in 5:48.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump set the example by putting forth efforts to make America healthy again.
That’s why we are introducing the Pete and Bobby challenge.
100 push-ups. 50 pull-ups. 10 minutes. <a href="https://t.co/ppRrwqSUm0">pic.twitter.com/ppRrwqSUm0</a>
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1957557737073557664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It&#8217;s all about making America healthy again. We&#8217;re going to be fit, not fat,&#8221; said Hegseth. &#8220;We want recruits that are ready to go.&#8221;
Shot in the Pentagon Athletic Center, the video shows various service members participating in the challenge, with Hegseth exhorting one contender. Turning to the camera, declaring, “The Secretary of Defense shark attack,” then leans down to him, yelling, “You can do better! &#8230; Let’s go!”
After celebrating one participant completing the routine in just 2:43, Hegseth joked, “Maybe we should send the challenge to [Transportation Secretary] Sean Duffy! &#8230; I’m going to throw it on the military side, too. Let’s challenge the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, &#8216;Razin&#8217; Caine! And then my friend on TV, [Fox News journalist] Will Cain. How about the Pete and Bobby challenge, 100 push-ups, 50 pull-ups?”
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“We hope Americans will take this challenge and you’ll pass it along so that we’re fit the way we need to and be healthy and have a healthy fighting force,” Hegseth enthused.
“Let’s make America healthy again,” Kennedy concludes.
“Amen,” Hegseth, a devoutly religious Christian, agrees.
In March, Hegseth issued a <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4118161/rapid-force-wide-review-of-military-standards/">memo</a> ordering a department-wide review of existing standards set by U.S. military branches pertaining to physical fitness. He declared, “We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world&#8217;s most lethal and effective fighting force. Our adversaries are not growing weaker, and our tasks are not growing less challenging.”
In April, Hegseth gave a speech at the Army War College in which he <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/4164715/remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-at-the-army-war-college-as-deliver/">stated</a>, “To be lethal, you have to trust that the warrior alongside you in battle or the troops fighting in the unit that many of you will lead are capable, truly physically capable of doing what is necessary under fire. You need to be fit, not fat, sharp, not shabby.”

MixCollage-19-Aug-2025-07-42-AM-5614

Hegseth And RFK Jr. Launch ‘Pete And Bobby Challenge’ With High-Energy Gym Showdown

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that his department is canceling 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts, totaling about $500 million.
Kennedy said mRNA vaccines, including the most widely used COVID-19 immunizations, have been ineffective, so his department is instead shifting this funding toward &#8220;safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
&#8220;After reviewing the science, and consulting top experts at [National Institutes of Health] and [Food and Drug Administration], HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses,&#8221; RFK said in a video posted to X.
Kennedy said that mRNA vaccines used during the pandemic &#8220;only code for a small part of the viral protein, usually a single antigen.&#8221;
&#8220;One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This dynamic drives a phenomenon called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine.&#8221;
Millions of people, RFK noted, caught the Omicron variant, despite being vaccinated. This is due to the nature of the mRNA vaccines. &#8220;A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,&#8221; the secretary emphasized.
“Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them,&#8221; Kennedy told the public. &#8220;That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions.&#8221;
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an HHS agency, is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments &#8220;because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu,&#8221; a press release from HHS reiterates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward… <a href="https://t.co/GPKbuU7ywN">pic.twitter.com/GPKbuU7ywN</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1952851097019633766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
BARDA will now focus on &#8220;platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices,&#8221; HHS said. &#8220;Technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions – like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-maha-wins-12-states-cutting-soda-candy-from-food-stamps?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+MAHA+Wins%3A+12+States+Cutting+Soda%2C+Candy+From+Food+Stamps">More MAHA Wins: 12 States Cutting Soda, Candy From Food Stamps</a>

RFK Jr

RFK Jr. Shuts Down $500M In mRNA Vaccine Research: ‘More Risks Than Benefits’

Medical Research

vaccine

In what&#8217;s being praised as another &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-targets-ultra-processed-foods-in-latest-move-to-maha">Make America Healthy Again</a>&#8221; win, a growing number of states have been approved to limit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">food stamp</a> purchases to healthier options, cutting out sugary drinks and candy.
Agriculture Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-amnesty-trump-usda-chief-address-deportations-of-illegal-farm-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooke Rollins</a> on Monday authorized waivers from another six states asking to limit purchases with food stamps &#8212; known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The latest states to join the MAHA trend are West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
In total, 12 states are now approved to limit food stamps since President Donald Trump took office in January and tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. &#8212; the figurehead of the MAHA movement &#8212; to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Below are the 12 states making these cuts:
Arkansas: Soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice, other unhealthy drinks, and candy will be barred from food stamps purchases by July 2026.
Colorado: By March 2026, SNAP will restrict soft drink purchases.
Florida: Soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts will no longer be permitted food stamp purchases by January 2026.
Idaho: Soda and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Indiana: Soft drinks and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Iowa: By January 2026, taxable food items in the state, which will include most candy, soft drinks, and prepared foods, will be restricted. 
Louisiana: With a target date of January 15, 2026, the state will ban the purchase of soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy with SNAP.
Nebraska: Soda and energy drinks will be restricted by January 2026.
Oklahoma: Soft drinks and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Texas: By April 2026, sweetened drinks and candy will be barred from SNAP purchases.
Utah: Soft drink purchases will be barred by January 2026.
West Virginia: Soda will be restricted by January 2026.
Kennedy on Tuesday reaffirmed his message that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for unhealthy foods like soda and candy, which he says are fueling the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and making Americans sick.
&#8220;We are spending $405 million a day on SNAP and about 10% is going to sugary drinks, and if you add candies to that, it&#8217;s about 13-17%.&#8221;
&#8220;We all believe in free choice,&#8221; the secretary emphasized. &#8220;We live in a democracy &#8212; people can make their own choice about what they are going to buy and what they are not going to buy. If you want to buy a sugary soda, you should be able to do that, but the U.S. taxpayer should not pay for it.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. taxpayers should not be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes,&#8221; RFK added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. says he is officially moving to BAN food stamps from being used for soda
FINALLY!
&#8220;The U.S. Taxpayer should NOT be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes.&#8221;
&#8220;We are spending $405 MILLION a day on SNAP..… <a href="https://t.co/jjsmZ8DrGE">pic.twitter.com/jjsmZ8DrGE</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1952449669163839580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA</a>

Texas Bill Would Mandate Warning Label “Not Recommended For Human Consumption” On Some Foods

More MAHA Wins: 12 States Cutting Soda, Candy From Food Stamps

News

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is eyeing another key health panel to reform, apparently due to members&#8217; past &#8220;woke&#8221; comments and recommendations.
The panel in question is called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which has 16 members. The task force helps determine which cancer screenings and other preventative measures should be covered by insurance.
Sources <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/rfk-health-screening-panel-members-c308cbb0?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAj7wH3sv3WoEdu4VAgkX6dfrc6WdD03ZsDFxQbqvweBFhTgu_F4bYLFku3VqJA%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6887e303&amp;gaa_sig=oN9e3u89wwsyjVVX6d5R9XbyL7iYRTsaUIR4FqoqZCoezMLzPT0cDFBgyVzWY0YgrMPHCREJbHmJtRje3S_OQw%3D%3D">told</a> The Wall Street Journal that Kennedy is looking to oust all 16 members and replace them with his own appointments, as he did with a recent vaccine panel. RFK Jr. is reportedly motivated by past &#8220;woke&#8221; comments from the task force members.
The Journal highlighted recent commentary from The American Conservative, which detailed the panel&#8217;s “left-wing ideological orthodoxy.&#8221;
For example, the task force highlighted &#8220;racial discrimination&#8221; when discussing risk factors for anxiety in some children and teenagers. They also referred to pregnant women as “pregnant persons.&#8221; And in a publication on breastfeeding, the panel spoke about the “lasting psychological impact and stigma&#8221; of &#8220;enslaved Black women being forced to act as wet nurses.&#8221;
HHS said in a statement that Kennedy &#8220;looks forward to working with the USPSTF to improve public health.&#8221;
The apparent upcoming move follows RFK Jr. firing all 17 panelists on a highly influential vaccine panel called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP. His explanation of the removals was to restore public trust, citing conflicts of interest.
Kennedy said ACIP had “never recommended against a vaccine—even those which were later withdrawn for safety reasons,&#8221; adding that the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women.”
ACIP held its first vote with 8 new members appointed by Kennedy last month, and they voted to recommend a shot that protects infants against RSV, a respiratory virus that can be deadly for babies. The panel has also recommended flu shots without a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. Kennedy has already moved to cement the recommendation. 
ACIP is expected to tackle the childhood vaccination schedule, which is riling up critics.
The Daily Wire has reached out to HHS for further comment on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-targets-ultra-processed-foods-in-latest-move-to-maha?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Targets+Ultra-Processed+Foods+In+Latest+Move+To+MAHA">RFK Jr. Targets Ultra-Processed Foods In Latest Move To MAHA</a>

RFK Jr. To Oust Key Health Panel Over ‘Woke’ Nonsense

Health and Human Services

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-nixes-u-s-funding-for-vaccine-alliance-until-it-re-earns-the-publics-trust?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Nixes+U.S.+Funding+For+Vaccine+Alliance+Until+It+‘Re-Earns+The+Public’s+Trust’">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a> is demanding reform to the organ transplant system after a shocking investigation found organs were nearly harvested from dozens of patients who showed signs of life. 
An <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hrsa-to-reform-organ-transplant-system.html">investigation</a> conducted by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration reviewed 351 cases out of Kentucky where organ donation was approved, but not completed. More than 100 of those cases – about 30% – showed what HHS called “concerning features,” including 73 patients who showed neurological signs “incompatible with organ donation.” At least 28 patients may not have been dead at the time the organ procurement was started.
 Some of these patients died within hours, but others lived for multiple days, and some became well enough to actually leave the hospital. 
Outside of the HHS investigation, a recent report from The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/us/organ-transplants-donors-alive.html">highlighted</a> a number of disturbing cases where the push for organs threatened potential donors. In one case, a 42-year-old Alabama woman had her chest cut into and her breastbone sawed before the doctors realized her heart was still beating and she was breathing. 
“Our findings show that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying,” Kennedy said in a statement, and his department said it found a “systemic disregard for the sanctity of life.” 
The secretary singled out organ procurement organizations (OPOs), nonprofits that coordinate access to these transplants, and said they will be &#8220;held accountable.&#8221;
&#8220;The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves,&#8221; RFK added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our findings show that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying. The organ procurement organizations that coordinate access to transplants will be held accountable. The entire system must be fixed to… <a href="https://t.co/DeiFa2FlEJ">https://t.co/DeiFa2FlEJ</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1947723786641346605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
The federal inquiry into the organ transplant system was sparked by a Kentucky man who overdosed in 2021. The OPO involved, which is now called Network for Hope after a merger, was at the center of the investigation. 
The Times, which had access to HHS&#8217;s findings, said hospital staffers were uncomfortable moving forward with the organ procurement, fearing they were committing euthanasia. However, an OPO coordinator assured the staffers that everything was fine. Eventually, a doctor said he wouldn&#8217;t move forward, and the Kentucky man “cried, pulled his knees to his chest and shook his head.” 
The patient became well enough to leave the hospital and is still alive today. 
Two former employees of the OPO told the Times the organ harvesting would have “1000% moved forward” if not for the doctor putting a stop to the OPO. Three other former employees said they witnessed similar cases. 
Barry Massa, the CEO of Network of Hope, testified before Congress on Wednesday and stated that the nonprofit is conducting its own internal investigations and has implemented new standards to protect organ donors. 
“We have devised a checklist for every nurse that is on a DCD (donation after circulatory death) case,&#8221; Massa said. &#8220;We did the same thing with every attending physician.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve implemented &#8216;hard stops,&#8217; so that during any part of the process, we have huddles with everyone involved in the care and the treatment of that DCD donor so that if any concerns are raised, they can raise those concerns at that time, or any time in the process,&#8221; he added. 
HHS has outlined several procedures for OPOs to follow and requires them to adopt a formal method that allows any staff member to halt a donation process if patient safety concerns arise.
Kennedy has also threatened to decertify OPOs if they fail to comply with corrective actions outlined by HHS. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1628">WALSH: The Dark Truth About Becoming An Organ Donor</a>

Doctor and nurse in the operating room with patient on the operating table in hospital

Shocking Federal Report Reveals Organ Donors Showed Signs Of Life When Harvesting Started

Shocking HHS Report Says Organ Donors Still Alive When Organ Harvesting Started  

Organ Donation

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bluntly called genocide charges against Israel a “blood libel” and extolled an <a href="https://x.com/SpencerGuard/status/1948010761957052628">essay</a> by a noted war expert that comprehensively refuted the accusation.
Kennedy, like his father before him, has always been a staunch supporter of Israel; his father Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who had served as John F. Kennedy’s Attorney General before his stint in the Senate and his 1968 campaign for president, in which he was battling Vice-President Hubert Humphrey in the primaries before Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan murdered him.
“The genocide charge is a blood libel. Thank you Major Spencer for this withering deconstruction,” Kennedy wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The genocide charge is a blood libel. Thank you Major Spencer for this withering deconstruction.
&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1948196370642608537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The term “blood libel” vis-à-vis the Jewish people has <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blood-libel">historically referred</a> to the false accusation that Jews murdered non-Jews in order to use their blood in the performance of religious ritual, a particularly ridiculous assertion since Jews are religiously forbidden to eat anything that has blood in it, even as small as a speck of blood in an egg. The charge has been used to foster numerous pogroms in Europe over the centuries, in which Jews were murdered en masse by the hundreds and thousands.
The essay Kennedy championed, by noted war expert John Spencer, who serves as chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, is titled “I’m a War Scholar. There Is No Genocide in Gaza.” Spencer was responding to a New York Times op-ed by <a href="https://www.jns.org/the-new-york-times-genocide-scholar-is-no-neutral-observer/">leftist Brown University professor Omer Bartov</a> that accused Israel of genocide.
 “Genocide is not defined by a few comments taken out of context, by estimates of casualties or destruction, or by how war looks in headlines or on social media. It is defined by specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part,” Spencer noted.
“That is a high legal bar. Bartov did not meet it. He did not even try,” Spencer wrote.  “Since October 7, I have been to Gaza four times embedded with the Israel Defense Forces. I have interviewed the Prime Minister of Israel, the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief of Staff, Southern Command leadership, and dozens of commanders and soldiers on the front lines. I have reviewed their orders, watched their targeting process, and seen soldiers take real risks to avoid harming civilians. Nothing I have seen or studied resembles genocide or genocidal intent.”
Spencer ripped Bartov for claiming Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comment on October 7 that Hamas would “pay a huge price” was a call for genocide, noting, “It is what any leader would say after the worst terrorist attack in the nation’s history.”
“He also cites Netanyahu’s statements that Hamas would be destroyed and that civilians should evacuate combat zones,” he continued, “That is not evidence of a desire to destroy a people. It is what professional militaries do when fighting an enemy that hides among civilians.”
“Bartov presents Netanyahu’s reference to ‘remember Amalek’ as a smoking gun,” he stated. “But this is a phrase from Jewish history and tradition. It is engraved at Israel’s Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, and also appears on the Holocaust memorial in The Hague. In both places, it serves as a warning to remain vigilant against threats, not as a call for mass killing.”
“I have studied the actual orders. They focus on destroying Hamas, rescuing hostages, and protecting civilians whenever possible,” he recalled, continuing:
<blockquote>
Israel has taken extraordinary steps to limit civilian harm. It warns before attacks using text messages, phone calls, leaflets, and broadcasts. It opens safe corridors and pauses operations so civilians can leave combat areas. It tracks civilian presence down to the building level. I have seen missions delayed or canceled because children were nearby. I have seen Israeli troops come under fire and still be ordered not to shoot back because civilians might be harmed. 
Israel has delivered more humanitarian aid to Gaza than any military in history has provided to an enemy population during wartime. More than 94,000 trucks carrying over 1.8 million tons of aid have entered the territory. Israel has supported hospitals, repaired water pipelines, increased access to clean water, and enabled over 36,000 patients to leave Gaza for treatment abroad. The IDF has coordinated millions of vaccine doses, supplied fuel for hospitals and infrastructure, and facilitated the flow of food and medicine through the UN, aid groups, and private partners.
</blockquote>
He derided Bartov’s claim that 58,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including 17,000 children. “But these numbers come from a terrorist organization,” Spencer pointed out. “They mix civilians and fighters and count anyone under 18 as a child, even though Hamas uses teenagers and younger children as combatants. The figures are not independently verified and have been shown to contain false details, including names, ages, and sex.”
“Civilian deaths are tragic, but in Gaza, they are also part of Hamas’s strategy,” he wrote. “No military operation is judged solely by body counts or destruction figures. If we used Bartov’s logic, every major war would be called genocide. Two million civilians died in the Korean War, an average of 54,000 per month. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars killed hundreds of thousands. The fight against ISIS leveled multiple cities and killed tens of thousands. None of those wars were considered genocidal.”
“War is hell,” he declared. “It is inhumane, destructive, and ugly. But it is not automatically a crime. Nations must not target civilians. They must follow the rules of distinction, proportionality, and take all possible care to avoid civilian harm. Israel is doing that. I have seen it.”
“I have seen restraint, humanitarian aid, and deliberate compliance with legal standards, often at tactical cost,” he wrote. “This is not a campaign of extermination. It is a war against Hamas, a terrorist army embedded in civilian areas by design. The law matters. So does precision. And above all, truth matters.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO">https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO</a>
— John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1948010761957052628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testifies During House Hearing

RFK Jr. Blasts Genocide Accusations Against Israel: The ‘Charge Is A Blood Libel’

Gaza

genocide

Global Politics

Israel

After decades of investing in life science breakthroughs, from biotech platforms to diagnostic innovations, I’ve seen what’s possible when bold ideas meet real backing. I’ve also seen what happens when bureaucracy gets in the way. Nearly $52 billion flows through the National Institutes of Health each year — taxpayer money entrusted to one of the world’s most important engines of biomedical progress. It begs a tough question: Is the NIH delivering what it promises? In my opinion, not yet.
Discovery today moves faster than ever, but the NIH struggles to keep pace — not from lack of talent or mission, but because of outdated systems, fragmented structure, and a risk-averse culture. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s not about dismantling anything. It’s about upgrading an essential institution to work the way science works: fast, open, collaborative, and accountable. Under Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s leadership, with his courage and clear-eyed vision, we’re closer than ever to meaningful reform.
The NIH’s 27 institutes and centers often function in isolation, duplicating work and missing chances to collaborate. In 2024, $9 billion went to indirect costs like admin overhead — paperwork, not pipettes or Petri dishes. Rep. Cathy McMorris proposed streamlining to 15 centers, a plan that ought to be seriously considered. Merging overlapping fields, say, translational medicine and biomedical imaging, would sharpen focus and accelerate progress. It would help the NIH act like a modern, integrated organization, not a loose confederation of silos. Let scientists spend their time in the lab, not in grant-cycle purgatory.
<div id="attachment_946227" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-946227" class="size-large wp-image-946227" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-869x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12, 2025, in Washington, DC. During the event, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing the cost of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals by 30% to 80%. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />Andrew Harnik/Getty Images</div>
Public funding comes with public accountability, and the NIH has work to do. Concerns over inadequate responses to research misconduct, opaque grant reviews, and questionable international ties — like those linked to risky pathogen studies — damage credibility and slow progress. What’s needed isn’t punishment but clarity. Reforms to tighten oversight, simplify peer review, and flag repeat issues will protect the science and the people behind it. The American public is generous in funding medical research. It’s time to be just as generous with the truth.
In my years as a venture capitalist, I’ve learned that real innovation comes from unexpected places — outsiders, first-time founders, scientists chasing questions no one else asks. But the NIH’s grant system favors the safe route, funding incremental research while visionary proposals, like a novel approach to Alzheimer’s, get passed over. Put more generalists and cross-disciplinary thinkers on peer review panels. Train reviewers to recognize high-risk/high-reward ideas. Carve out funding for newcomers applying for the first time. We can’t solve 21st-century problems if we’re afraid to back 21st-century thinkers.
The scientific landscape has changed — AI decodes protein structures, organ-on-chip tech replaces animal testing, wearables guide patient care. Yet the NIH uses tools and timelines built for another era. The new public access policy, requiring funded studies to be shared freely, is a good start. But modernizing how we evaluate, fund, and share research is overdue. AI-driven grant reviews and real-time data platforms could match the global pace of discovery. If we want to compete with China and Europe, we need to move faster.
Despite its massive budget, the NIH sends disproportionate funding to elite institutions. In 2023, half of all grants went to just 10 states. Great science can come from a fresh PhD in Idaho or a tenured lab in Iowa, but without grant caps, geographic diversity, and fair review standards, those ideas never get a shot. America doesn’t have a monopoly on good ideas. Let’s stop acting like it does.
Are all reform proposals perfect? No. They’ll need input from scientists, policymakers, and patients who count on the results. Ignoring the problem, though, is reckless. This isn’t about tearing down the NIH; it’s about retooling it for today’s challenges. I came to this country believing in what it stood for. I’ve backed companies that pushed the limits of healthcare. I believe American science is the best in the world, but it needs a system that doesn’t hold it back. Let’s build an NIH that earns trust, funds bold ideas, and turns the best thinking into real-world cures. It’s time we let science lead. 
* * *
Guy Paul Nohra is co-founder of Alta Partners, a leading Venture Capital firm in life sciences, funding over 150 companies in the healthcare/life sciences sector since 1996 through eight Venture Capital funds.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Paperwork And Petri Dishes: It’s Time To Reform The NIH And Let Science Lead

Paperwork And Petri Dishes: It's Time To Reform The NIH And Let Science Lead

Federal Government

Health Care

Jay Bhattacharya

Medical

New intel shows Iran’s nuclear capability is “severely damaged” – despite media reports and the Ayatollah’s claims. RFK Jr. pulls funding from a global vaccine group he says is ignoring the science. And New York is still reeling from a political earthquake after a self-styled socialist’s victory in the Democratic primary for mayor.
It’s Friday, June 27, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
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<h2>Iran Intel &amp; More Peace In Middle East</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-940129" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-9.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-9.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-9-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: New details have emerged on the severity of U.S. airstrikes on Iran, as the White House hints at new peace deals with Middle Eastern adversaries.
Ayatollah Khamenei hadn’t been seen or heard from since before Saturday, as he refrained from any electronic communication for fear of being targeted himself. But on Thursday, he released a video where he struck a defiant tone, declaring victory over the U.S. and Israel and threatening to “take action again” if necessary. Khamenei assured his people that the American strikes “were unable to do anything important” and that President Trump had “exaggerated” their effectiveness &#8212; those claims have been mirrored by some elements of the legacy media.
The war in Iran might have ended, but the fighting is still going on in Washington, with the White House going to battle with the media over the state of Iran’s nuclear program. Knocking out Iran’s nuclear program could end up being one of the president’s signature accomplishments, and he wants credit. Almost immediately after the strikes, which the president said totally obliterated the Iranian nuclear program, the media began reporting otherwise, saying the program had only been set back a few months. A leaked damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency reportedly claimed Iran could have their nuclear program up and running by the new year and that the three nuclear sites struck by the United States had potentially sustained only “moderate” damage. Democrats and the legacy media jumped on that report, saying it was proof the strike was actually a failure and that Trump was lying to the public.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
The White House is disputing this, saying the assessment in question was one of multiple preliminary estimates and that newer intelligence from the CIA and others has revealed the damage to be significantly more severe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the press failed to report that the leaked document reported “low confidence” in its own assessment and had not been coordinated with the intelligence community more broadly.
&#8220;For people with common sense, everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “Complete and total destruction and obliteration.”
On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, seemed to agree with the White House, saying Iran’s nuclear program “suffered enormous damage.” According to the agency’s director, “there’s a lot of debate about the degree of annihilation, total destruction, and so on. What I can tell you, and I think everyone agrees on this, is that very considerable damage has been done.”
The president has also suggested that other Middle Eastern countries might join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel in the coming days.
<h2>RFK Withdraws Funding For International Vaccine Organization</h2>
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Topline: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the United States is withdrawing funding for an international vaccine organization that he says has lost the public’s trust.
Gavi is a global vaccine alliance that works to provide vaccinations to low-income people worldwide. It was founded by Bill Gates, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Bank back in 2000. Gavi has received more than $8 billion from the U.S. government since 2001 and claims to have vaccinated more than one billion children, saving millions of lives. 
RFK Jr.&#8217;s assessment of the group was not entirely negative: he commended Gavi for some of its work – particularly for keeping medicine affordable – when he announced that the United States would halt its financial contributions until Gavi could prove itself to be science-focused and transparent. Kennedy also stated that Gavi helped censor dissenting voices during the COVID pandemic and “ignored the science.” 

“The World Health Organization and Gavi partnered together during the COVID-19 pandemic to recommend best practices for social media companies to silence dissenting views, to stifle free speech and legitimate questions during that period,” Kennedy said. “When vaccine safety issues have come before Gavi, Gavi has treated them not as a patient health problem, but as a public relations problem.”
Kennedy said Gavi must re-earn the public’s trust before the U.S. financial contribution continues. He advised Gavi to “consider the best science available, even when the science contradicts established paradigms.”
The Gates Foundation, in reaction to RFK Jr.’s remarks, has already pledged to give $1.6 billion over the next five years to support Gavi.
<h2>New York City&#8217;s New Frontrunner</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-940133" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_16.Still003-4.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_16.Still003-4.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_16.Still003-4-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani shocked New York – and many in the Democratic Party – by rising out of seemingly nowhere to win the city’s Democratic primary for mayor.
A left-wing New York assemblyman, Zohran Mamdani, 33, won an upset victory in the NYC Democratic primary against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67. Despite recent polling suggesting it would be a close race, Mamdani overperformed in the early returns with a decisive enough lead that Cuomo conceded within hours.
“Mamdani pulled it off by increasing the turnout among mostly white progressives,” Ryan Girdusky, host of the “It’s a Numbers Game” podcast, told The Daily Wire. “Cuomo&#8217;s turnout was not high enough among black voters. And at the same exact time, Mamdani&#8217;s voter turnout was absolutely like general election turnout. And that, along with being able to siphon off support from the Asian community &#8212; he had an immense amount of Asian outreach despite being against SATs. And the growing Muslim population certainly helped him. And then his last part of his coalition was he was able to splinter a sizable chunk of the Hispanic vote who do not live in the Bronx. He lost the Bronx terribly. But among other Hispanic communities, he did very, very well.”
Mamdani is a self-described socialist who has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/nyregion/mamdani-policies-stances.html">campaigned</a> on rent control, government-owned grocery stores, raising taxes on the top 1% of New Yorkers, and offering sanctuary to illegal aliens. He has also been highly critical of the state of Israel, which he has described as “an apartheid state” that committed “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
While many prominent New Yorkers, from billionaire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billionaire-pledges-to-bankroll-any-nyc-mayoral-candidate-who-can-beat-zohran-mamdani?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Billionaire+Pledges+To+Bankroll+Any+NYC+Mayoral+Candidate+Who+Can+Beat+Zohran+Mamdani">Bill Ackman</a> to rapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-feeling-this-plan-nyc-native-50-cent-says-hell-put-up-six-figures-for-mamdani-to-go-away">50 Cent</a>, have come out against Mamdani since his victory, he remains the favorite to win the general election. While he is not likely to win a majority of voters, Mamdani will likely face off against three other candidates who are likely to split much of the conservative-to-moderate electorate: incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who chose to run as an independent this election after previously being elected as a Democrat, Cuomo, who despite losing the Democratic primary is also registered to run as a third-party candidate, and Republican Curtis Silwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels crime prevention group.
All three other candidates have their own baggage – Governor Cuomo resigned in disgrace after a sexual harassment scandal, Adams was accused of accepting bribes in a federal investigation that has since been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-dismisses-corruption-case-against-nyc-mayor-eric-adams">dropped</a>, and Silwa, a former radio host and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/22/nyregion/curtis-sliwa-mayor-cats.html">eccentric</a> conservative, faces an uphill battle in a city that favored Democrats over Republicans by <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/new-york-city-2024-election-vote-totals/5959798/">more than 2:1</a> in the last presidential election. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTRLhkPIu0">Adams</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/26/us-news/defiant-gop-candidate-curtis-sliwa-insists-on-staying-in-nyc-mayoral-race/">Silwa</a> are currently set on staying in the race, while Cuomo is presently &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/andrew-cuomo-zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayor-primary-election/">weighing his options</a>.&#8221;
Girdusky told The Daily Wire that if one or more of the other candidates dropped out and allowed their supporters to coalesce, “they could probably beat him. I don&#8217;t know if anyone&#8217;s ego is small enough to allow that to happen.”

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