A new policy rolled out on Tuesday will limit recommendations for an annual COVID-19 booster shot to the elderly and to children and younger adults who have at least one health condition that puts them at greater risk for developing severe disease.
According to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-fda-kennedy-covid-shots-rfk-trump-bb4de15b6ff955d6cd0b406aaec3cdc5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday morning by The Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would recommend annual booster shots for adults over the age of 65 in addition to younger adults and children whose pre-existing conditions or health concerns put them at greater risk of hospitalization or death from contracting COVID-19.
An <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2506929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> published on Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine provides a framework for developing and testing annual vaccines that might eventually be offered to generally healthy people who don&#8217;t fall into the currently recommended age and risk categories.
&#8220;For all healthy persons — those with no risk factors for severe Covid-19 — between the ages of 6 months and 64 years, the FDA anticipates the need for randomized, controlled trial data evaluating clinical outcomes before Biologics License Applications can be granted,&#8221; the article read. &#8220;Insofar as possible, when approving a Covid-19 vaccine for high-risk groups, the FDA will encourage manufacturers to conduct randomized, controlled trials in the population of healthy adults as part of their postmarketing commitment.&#8221;
The article, titled &#8220;An Evidence-Based Approach to COVID-19 Vaccination&#8221; and written by FDA Commissioner Marty Makari and Dr. Vinay Prasad, noted that COVID vaccine recommendations in European nations already reflected a move toward protecting the elderly and those at greatest risk rather than blanket coverage of the entire population, and their goal was to shift the United States to a similar standard.
&#8220;The FDA’s new Covid-19 philosophy represents a balance of regulatory flexibility and a commitment to gold-standard science. The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk. These clinical trials will inform future directions for the FDA, but more important, they will provide information that is desperately craved by health care providers and the American people.&#8221;

President Trump Signs Executive Orders At The White House

FDA Will No Longer Approve Annual COVID Vaccine For Younger, Healthy Patients

COVID-19 Vaccine

Donald Trump

Health

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ripped into the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “moribund” institution under undue influence from China in a Tuesday message to the organization’s governing assembly. 
In a video message shown at the World Health Assembly in Switzerland on Tuesday, Kennedy called for nations to follow America’s lead and create new health-focused institutions. His address comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-u-s-to-withdraw-from-world-health-organization?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Orders+U.S.+To+Withdraw+From+World+Health+Organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrawing</a> the United States from the WHO, citing its handling of the COVID pandemic and “onerous payments.”
“Like many legacy institutions, the WHO has become mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international power politics,” Kennedy said Tuesday. “While the United States has provided the lion’s share of the organization’s funding historically, other countries such as China have exerted undue influence over its operations in ways that serve their own interests and not particularly the interests of the global public.”
During COVID, Kennedy said that the WHO suppressed reports of human-to-human transmission and worked at the behest of China to promote the “fiction” that COVID originated from bats and not a government-sponsored lab in Wuhan. 
“Not only has the WHO capitulated to political pressure from China, it’s also failed to maintain an organization characterized by transparency and fair governance by and for its Member States,” Kennedy said. “The WHO often acts like it has forgotten that its members must remain accountable to their own citizens and not to transnational or corporate interests.”
He said the international health body has reflected the biases of corporate medicine and has pushed “harmful gender ideology” at the expense of wellness. 
Kennedy said he would like to see other public health officials reboot their entire systems, pointing to the changes he has implemented in the United States. He cited his department&#8217;s focus on chronic health issues, removing dyes and additives from food, investigating the cause of autism, and moving away from processed foods. 
“Global cooperation on health is still critically important to President Trump and myself, but it isn’t working very well under the WHO as the failures of the COVID era demonstrate,” he said. “I urge the world&#8217;s health ministers and the WHO to take our withdrawal from the organization as a wake-up call.”
The World Health Assembly is made up of member nations that determine the WHO&#8217;s policies, budget, and leadership.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Like many legacy institutions, the WHO has become mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international power politics. While the United States has provided the lion’s share of the organization’s funding historically, other countries such as… <a href="https://t.co/VvWbVBkb6M">pic.twitter.com/VvWbVBkb6M</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1924790453682970951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Delivers Address To Jewish Community In New York

RFK Jr. Slams World Health Organization In Message To Group’s Annual Meeting

RFK Jr. Slams World Health Organization In Message To Group's Annual Meeting

China

COVID-19

Department of Health and Human Services

World Health Organization

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is removing from the market prescription drug products for children that contain concentrated ingestible fluoride, the agency announced this past week.
The FDA cited studies that suggest a connection between ingested fluoride in children and lower IQ, weight gain, and thyroid issues.
&#8220;Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers,&#8221; a press release from the agency said. &#8220;They have also never been approved by the FDA.&#8221;
&#8220;Ingested fluoride has been shown to alter the gut microbiome, which is of magnified concern given the early development of the gut microbiome in childhood,&#8221; the press release added. &#8220;Other studies have suggested an association between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and possibly decreased IQ.&#8221;
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said it&#8217;s vital that the FDA &#8220;err on the side of safety&#8221; when it comes to our children.
&#8220;The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene, not by altering a child’s microbiome. For the same reason that fluoride may kill bacteria on teeth, it may also kill intestinal bacteria important for a child’s health,” the commissioner said in a statement. “I am instructing our Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area. When it comes to children, we should err on the side of safety.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, the FDA is taking action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market. A growing body of research is demonstrating how ingested fluoride can alter the gut microbiome. This is especially concerning with young children… <a href="https://t.co/pKTtkGyV3J">pic.twitter.com/pKTtkGyV3J</a>
— Dr. Martin Makary (@DrMakaryFDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA/status/1922412396766785898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. applauded Makary for the action.
&#8220;Thank you, [Dr. Marty Makary] for your leadership on this issue,&#8221; he posted to X on Saturday. &#8220;A recent systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzing 74 high-quality studies, found a clear association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children. This isn’t fringe science—this is mainstream, peer-reviewed data. Yes, when it comes to children, we should always err on the side of safety.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> for your leadership on this issue. A recent systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzing 74 high-quality studies, found a clear association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children. This isn’t fringe science—this is mainstream,… <a href="https://t.co/zLpV90d628">https://t.co/zLpV90d628</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1923742771581423787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy has been a long-time critic of the addition of fluoride to the public water supply. Since RFK Jr. took over as secretary of HHS, a number of states have taken steps to remove the chemical from public drinking water. So far, Utah and Florida have officially banned the chemical.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-raises-larger-issues-desantis-bans-fluoride-in-florida-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘It Raises Larger Issues’: DeSantis Bans Fluoride In Florida Water</a>

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

FDA Makes Big Announcement On Fluoride

Florida

U.S.

Utah

President Donald Trump’s new <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/trump-most-favored-nations-drug-price-order-what-to-know.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> on prescription drug prices — which he called “one of the most consequential executive orders in our country’s history” — may well live up to the hype, but not in the way Trump intends.
Trump&#8217;s announcement of a “most favored nation” <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/global-trends/us-news-trumps-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy-and-how-will-it-reduce-costs-slash-prescription-drug-prices-by-30-to-80-percent/articleshow/121109365.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> means the United States government will only pay drug prices equal to the lowest paid by any developed nation. This is what Germany, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom currently do: pay less for drugs than they’re worth. In turn, the United States picks up the tab when it buys up drugs for Medicaid.
We overpay, and it’s easy to write it off as unfair freeloading by Europe, a recurring theme for the Trump administration. But this remedy will not come without its costs, and consumers will feel it down the line.
The Trump administration&#8217;s solution for drug pricing is identical to its approach to tariffs. Instead of finding leverage in a target-rich environment to coerce Europe into paying market rates, thus giving American consumers a break, they’ve decided to join the race to the bottom. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) must be quietly pleased to see his socialist dream of price controls go mainstream within the MAGA coalition, even though he has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-warning-trump-drug-pricing-executive-order-2071155" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> that Trump’s drug pricing measure would be better served by legislation.
If it was not clear to Republicans before, it should be now that free market policymaking is on the outs in the second Trump administration.
Let’s be honest about what’s happening. The White House wants to trim federal <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AmCRxm6P4o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spending</a> without touching politically sensitive programs like Medicaid. To square that budgetary circle, they’ve decided to force pharmaceutical companies to sell their products to American patients at the same rate they’re sold to socialized healthcare systems abroad.
This move, unthinkable for a Republican administration two decades ago, assumes that America can have the world’s most innovative pharmaceutical sector and also ask “Big Pharma” to forgo the billions in profits they reinvest back into research and development. It’s a fantasy.
The United States is the engine of pharmaceutical innovation. Over half of all new drug patents originate here specifically because America allows firms to see a return on investment. Drug development isn’t like manufacturing sneakers or soda. It’s a high-risk, capital-intensive endeavor where failure is more common than success. A single treatment can take over a decade to develop, cost billions, and then <a href="https://med.uc.edu/depart/psychiatry/research/clinical-research/crm/trial-phases-1-2-3-defined#:~:text=Subjects%20in%20a%20Phase%20II,go%20on%20to%20Phase%20III." target="_blank" rel="noopener">never make it</a> to FDA phase III trials.
Cutting-edge treatments come to market and make the impossible suddenly possible, albeit at a premium price point. It’s true, on brand-name drugs, Americans <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/comparing-prescription-drugs#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20U.S.%20prices%20across,adjustments%20for%20estimated%20U.S.%20rebates." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay a lot</a> more.
However, like clockwork, generics get developed and costs for the consumer crater. Generic medications account for 91% of prescriptions in the United States. For those, we <a href="https://x.com/cremieuxrecueil/status/1921730579675934991" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay far less</a> for those drugs than nearly any other country, something Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://youtu.be/XYBuphYtp6I?si=U5SKZ4aI99bvS70w&amp;t=2662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> this week.
If Medicaid won’t pay a fair price, pharmaceutical companies will raise prices on private insurers to compensate. That means higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans who get coverage through work or on the open market.
And that’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/6/7/22522479/medicaid-health-insurance-doctors-billing-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assuming</a> companies continue to sell to Medicaid at all.
Why isn’t Trump hammering European nations that want access to American-made drugs and have them negotiate fair, value-based deals for our biotech? It’s a crown jewel of America that global elites travel near and far to access. We should be twisting wrists abroad, not kneecapping our pharmaceutical industry.
<div>If we want lower drug costs, allowing drug approval reciprocity — as <a href="https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-to-modernize-fda-prescription-drug-approvals-and-lower-drug-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-to-modernize-fda-prescription-drug-approvals-and-lower-drug-prices/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747494596378000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27BgpCiXpYt8qvN3lERP1n">suggested</a> by Sen. Rand Paul — to increase competition between drug approval regulators globally would be a great start. The FDA’s approval process could also be reformed to accelerate trials and drug approval.</div>
America leads the world in medical breakthroughs for a reason. We cannot afford to surrender that leadership by copying the failures of Europe’s socialized health systems. Europe as we know it today is a warning, not a model.
Stephen Kent is the Media Director of the Consumer Choice Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-HEALTH-TRUMP-KENNEDY

Undermining American Pharmaceutical Companies Won’t Make Drugs Cheaper

Big Pharma

Europe

Executive Orders

Prescription Drugs

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers on Wednesday that he has requested the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do a &#8220;complete review&#8221; of the abortion pill.
The announcement was welcomed by pro-life conservatives, who previously wondered how RFK Jr., a former Democrat, would respond to abortion-related issues, having previously said that while he believes every abortion is a “tragedy,” the issue is “more nuanced and complex.”
During Wednesday&#8217;s Senate committee hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked RFK Jr. if he was aware of a new analysis from the Ethics &amp; Public Policy Center indicating that mifepristone is many times more dangerous than the FDA says on the label for the abortion pill, and he said he was.
&#8220;It&#8217;s alarming,&#8221; RFK Jr. told Hawley.
&#8220;Clearly, it indicates that at the very least the label should be changed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve asked Marty Makary, who&#8217;s the director of the FDA, to do a complete review and to report back.&#8221;
RFK Jr. also said that he did not yet have a sense of the timeline of the review.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
RFK Jr. says he has asked FDA to do a thorough review of mifepristone in light of a study indicating serious side effects could be 22x more common than the FDA says <a href="https://t.co/kHLNGqsdeA">pic.twitter.com/kHLNGqsdeA</a>
&mdash; Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyakopp/status/1922739876417445997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abortion+Pill+22+Times+More+Dangerous+Than+FDA+Claimed%2C+New+Study+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> released last month found that more than one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023. This can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
That is about 22 times higher than what the FDA listed on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.
Meanwhile, more than one in 20 women need a second abortion attempt after the abortion pill fails, another analysis of insurance claim data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-1-in-20-women-need-second-abortion-attempt-after-abortion-pill-fails?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+Than+1+in+20+Women+Need+Second+Abortion+Attempt+After+Abortion+Pill+Fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> this week showed.
&#8220;We&#8217;re very thankful for this announcement from Secretary Kennedy. We encourage the FDA to conduct its own study to best ensure that women are given an honest and clear presentation of the dangers of the abortion pill,&#8221; Ryan Anderson, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and one of the authors of the analysis told The Daily Wire.
The two-pill chemical abortion regimen — mifepristone, usually followed by misoprostol — aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
A few months before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the FDA scrapped the requirement that women must obtain abortion pills in person from a healthcare provider, allowing them to get them online through the mail.
“We applaud Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his swift directive to FDA for a thorough study of the dangerous chemical abortion pill,” Doug Truax, founder of Foundation for the Restoration of America, which put out another report on the abortion pill&#8217;s &#8220;serious adverse events&#8221; told The Daily Wire.
“The health and safety of women is at risk and we can’t allow ideology to trump science,” Truax said.
Last year, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-challenges-rfk-jr-on-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> Kennedy Jr. on abortion during an interview, telling him that abortion is “not just a tragedy. It’s a crime against the child because the child has an independent interest. What do you say to that?”
“I say that I understand that position, and I don’t agree with it,” Kennedy responded, adding that he believes “the solution of having the state come in and dictate choices that a woman is making is not a good solution.”
RFK Jr. appeared before both Senate and House committees on Wednesday to defend President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed budget cuts to the HHS, which RFK Jr. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/politics/rfk-jr-hhs-overhaul-hearing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> would be &#8220;painful&#8221; but would save money “without impacting critical services.”

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Testifies On Budget During House And Senate Hearings On Wednesday

RFK Jr. Wants ‘Complete Review’ Of Abortion Pill, Says Prescription Label Downplays Risks

RFK Says He Has Asked FDA For 'Complete Review' Of Abortion Pill After Data On Dangers

Abortion

Health and Human Services

Health Care

Medical Research

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) tried to trip up Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his testimony on Wednesday, but instead exposed herself to be wildly unfamiliar with Kennedy&#8217;s department.
While Kennedy was trying to respond to Alsobrooks&#8217; confusing questions about his sprawling department, she suggested to the secretary that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is not part of his department, which, of course, is false, since HHS does oversee NIH.
&#8220;It&#8217;s assistive reproductive technology, it&#8217;s a division. Do you know what it does?&#8221; Alsobrooks asked Kennedy.
The secretary asked what she&#8217;s specifically talking about is part of NIH, since, when he took over as secretary, there were dozens of offices for reproductive health, which Kennedy is in the process of organizing and consolidating.
&#8220;No, it&#8217;s actually part of your agency,&#8221; Alsobrooks responded.
&#8220;NIH is part of my agency,&#8221; RFK shot back. &#8220;Senator, you should know that.&#8221;
&#8220;I do know that,&#8221; the senator suggested. &#8220;It&#8217;s actually, the CDC is where is it.&#8221;
Astonishingly, Alsobrooks then told RFK that he was &#8220;unfamiliar with the programs&#8221; in his department.
&#8220;You&#8217;re unfamiliar with my agency,&#8221; a fiery Kennedy reacted. &#8220;The NIH and the CDC are part of HHS.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This sums up today for you.
RFK Jr was supposed to be answering questions about his 2026 proposed budget. Instead, he was giving Congress a lesson on his agency.
Kennedy: “Is it part of NIH?”
Senator: “No, it’s actually part of your agency.”
Kennedy: “NIH is part of my… <a href="https://t.co/8sT6IzX8o9">pic.twitter.com/8sT6IzX8o9</a>
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaRMatson/status/1922748430784557216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sparks-fly-at-hearing-as-rfk-jr-takes-on-dems-for-playing-politics-with-health?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sparks+Fly+At+Hearing+As+RFK+Jr.+Takes+On+Dems+For+Playing+Politics+With+Health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted by The Daily Wire,</a> Kennedy sparred with a number of Democrats during his testimony before the House committee on appropriations before his hearing with the Senate.
Kennedy defended cuts made to HHS and called out Democrats for echoing party talking points and engaging in what he viewed as the politicization of public health.
In one instance, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) accused Kennedy of potentially breaking the law and putting Americans’ health at risk over cuts he’s made at HHS. The secretary shot back by describing the “absolute cataclysmic disorganization” of the department when he took it over, which he said was under her oversight for decades.
“We had nine separate offices of women’s health,” RFK explained. “When we consolidate them, Democrats say that we’re eliminating them. We’re not, we’re still appropriating the $3.7 billion, but we’re not keeping all nine. We had eight separate offices for minority health, we eliminated one. We had 27 HIV offices, we had 59 behavioral health programs.”
Moreover, during his testimony before the Senate Health Committee, several protesters were tackled and arrested by Capitol Police for screaming and interrupting Kennedy&#8217;s opening statement. Among those arrested was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-jerrys-co-founder-arrested-for-stunt-during-rfk-testimony?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ben+%26+Jerry’s+Co-Founder+Arrested+For+Stunt+During+RFK+Testimony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-jerrys-co-founder-arrested-for-stunt-during-rfk-testimony?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Ben+%26+Jerry’s+Co-Founder+Arrested+For+Stunt+During+RFK+Testimony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry’s Co-Founder Arrested For Stunt During RFK Testimony</a>

Sen. Alsobrooks, RFK

Dem Senator Tries To Trip Up RFK Jr. At Hearing. It Ends Very Poorly For Her.

Dem Senator Tries To Trip Up RFK At Hearing. It Ends Very Poorly For Her. 

Congress

Several protesters were tackled and arrested by Capitol Police on Wednesday, after they screamed and interrupted testimony from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before the Senate Health Committee.
Among the protesters who were arrested was Ben &amp; Jerry&#8217;s co-founder Ben Cohen. It&#8217;s unclear what he was protesting regarding Kennedy, but other protesters had signs that called RFK &#8220;anti-vaccine&#8221; or said, &#8220;RFK Lies, People with AIDS Die.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_920507" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-920507" class="wp-image-920507 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2215089177-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2215089177-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2215089177-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2215089177-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2215089177.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Samuel Corum/Getty Images</div>
As video footage below shows, Kennedy and others in the room were startled when the protesters screamed to interrupt the secretary&#8217;s opening statement. Some are heard yelling, &#8220;RFK kills people with hate!&#8221; Quickly, Capitol Police stepped in to remove the protesters, some by force.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Very aggressive protesters at Bobby’s hearing. I don’t like this one bit. Besides President Trump, he has the biggest target on his back. 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/L0YmJIlZaU">pic.twitter.com/L0YmJIlZaU</a>
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) <a href="https://twitter.com/itslinklauren/status/1922717449293566375?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Cohen was arrested for obstruction, according to authorities, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watch-rfk-jr-senate-hearing-disrupted-screaming-protesters-rfk-kills-people-hate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday. Six others were arrested, as well.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ben from <a href="https://twitter.com/benandjerrys?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benandjerrys</a> goes berserk in a congregational budget hearing
This just does wonders for the brand
<a href="https://t.co/0gDo0p0f5d">pic.twitter.com/0gDo0p0f5d</a>
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilHollowayEsq/status/1922748324257386646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<div id="attachment_920509" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-920509" class="wp-image-920509 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214453724-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214453724-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214453724-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214453724-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214453724.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sparks-fly-at-hearing-as-rfk-jr-takes-on-dems-for-playing-politics-with-health?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sparks+Fly+At+Hearing+As+RFK+Jr.+Takes+On+Dems+For+Playing+Politics+With+Health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted by The Daily Wire</a> earlier on Wednesday, Kennedy sparred a number of Democrats during his testimony before the House committee on appropriations.
Kennedy defended cuts made to HHS and called out Democrats for echoing party talking points and for engaging in what he viewed as the politicization of public health.
In one instance, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) accused Kennedy of potentially breaking the law and putting Americans’ health at risk over cuts he’s made at HHS. The secretary shot back by describing the “absolute cataclysmic disorganization” of the department when he took it over, which he said was under her oversight for decades.
“We had nine separate offices of women’s health,” Kennedy explained. “When we consolidate them, Democrats say that we’re eliminating them. We’re not, we’re still appropriating the $3.7 billion, but we’re not keeping all nine. We had eight separate offices for minority health, we eliminated one. We had 27 HIV offices, we had 59 behavioral health programs.”
Later in the hearing, Kennedy called out DeLauro for her partisan behavior and called on Democrats to work with him on health initiatives.
“Let’s work together and do something we all believe in, which is have healthy kids in our country, for God’s sake,” he said. “There’s no such thing as Republican children or Democrat children. There’s just kids, and we should all be concerned with them.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sparks-fly-at-hearing-as-rfk-jr-takes-on-dems-for-playing-politics-with-health?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sparks+Fly+At+Hearing+As+RFK+Jr.+Takes+On+Dems+For+Playing+Politics+With+Health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sparks Fly At Hearing As RFK Jr. Takes On Dems For Playing Politics With Health</a>

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-HEALTH-BUDGET

Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Arrested For Stunt During RFK Testimony

Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparred with a number of Democrats on Wednesday while he testified before the House committee on appropriations.
Kennedy called out Democrats for echoing party talking points and for engaging in what he viewed as the politicization of public health.
In one instance, RFK took on Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) over budget cuts and other health initiatives.
DeLauro accused Kennedy of potentially breaking the law and putting Americans&#8217; health at risk over cuts he&#8217;s made at HHS. The secretary shot back by describing the &#8220;absolute cataclysmic disorganization&#8221; of the department when he took it over, which he said was under her oversight for decades.
&#8220;We had nine separate offices of women&#8217;s health,&#8221; Kennedy explained. &#8220;When we consolidate them, Democrats say that we&#8217;re eliminating them. We&#8217;re not, we&#8217;re still appropriating the $3.7 billion, but we&#8217;re not keeping all nine. We had eight separate offices for minority health, we eliminated one. We had 27 HIV offices, we had 59 behavioral health programs.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NEW: RFK Jr. flips the script on Democrat Rosa DeLauro—and exposes total chaos inside HHS.
DeLauro tried to corner him on tobacco prevention funding. But Kennedy turned the tables, spotlighting the disastrous failures under her oversight.
Rosa DeLauro: “Do you commit to… <a href="https://t.co/uw7EUwo92L">pic.twitter.com/uw7EUwo92L</a>
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1922670888811401454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy name-checked DeLauro later in the hearing, too, this time for what he viewed as her partisan behavior over health, specifically children&#8217;s health.
&#8220;Congresswoman DeLauro, you say that you’ve worked for 20 years on getting food dye out,&#8221; the secretary said. &#8220;Give me credit, I got it out in 100 days!&#8221;
Kennedy notably announced the phasing out of petroleum-based dyes last month. Already, major food companies have committed to making the changes before the end of 2026, which was the secretary&#8217;s goal.
&#8220;Let’s work together and do something we all believe in, which is have healthy kids in our country, for God’s sake,&#8221; a fiery Kennedy continued. &#8220;There’s no such thing as Republican children or Democrat children. There’s just kids, and we should all be concerned with them.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 MIC DROP
RFK Jr just lost it on congressional democrats.
“We’re poisoning this generation. 800,000 kids- the poorest kids in the country- and we’re starting them out with this count against them. With, you know, diabetes, pre-diabetes.
Thirty-eight percent of our youth are… <a href="https://t.co/txD4Um4HrQ">pic.twitter.com/txD4Um4HrQ</a>
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaRMatson/status/1922675139436581066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy also took on Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), whom RFK said was echoing Democrat talking points about HHS cuts.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if you understand this, or whether you&#8217;re just mouthing the Democratic talking points. Cuts to Medicaid are for fraud, waste, and abuse,&#8221; Kennedy told the congressman.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a million people who are claiming Medicaid from multiple states. That&#8217;s illegal. It&#8217;s theft. You&#8217;re not allowed to do that,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;There are another million people who are collecting both Medicaid and Obamacare,&#8221; Kennedy said, before noting that the federal government will also no longer pay Medicaid for illegal immigrants.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dem: WHY ARE YOU TAKING MEDICAID AWAY FROM MY SICK CONSTITUENTS?
RFK: WRONG! ~1 million ppl are claiming Medicaid illegally ~1 million ppl are collecting Medicaid AND Obamacare illegally. ~1 million ILLEGAL aliens are using Medicaid illegally. -Millions of able-bodied adults on… <a href="https://t.co/sBsHeEhspG">pic.twitter.com/sBsHeEhspG</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1922688081666171368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kennedy will also appear before the Senate Health Committee.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-order-to-reduce-drug-prices-tells-rest-of-world-to-pay-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Signs Order To Reduce Drug Prices, Tells Rest Of World To Pay U</a>p

Kennedy//DeLauro

Sparks Fly At Hearing As RFK Jr. Takes On Dems For Playing Politics With Health

Sparks Fly At Hearing As RFK Takes On Democrats For Playing Politics With Health

President Donald Trump on Monday morning signed an executive order to significantly reduce pharmaceutical drug prices for Americans.
The directive, Trump stressed, will bring fairness to Americans and cut out &#8220;the middlemen&#8221; to bring prices down so citizens will start to pay prices comparable to other developed nations.
&#8220;Starting today, the United States will no longer subsidize the drug prices of other countries,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been subsidizing drug prices for the rest of the world, not just the European Union.&#8221;
By implementing a policy called &#8220;Most Favored Nation,” Trump said the U.S. is &#8220;gonna pay the lowest price there is in the world. We&#8217;re no longer paying ten times more than another country.&#8221;
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was with Trump at a press conference on Monday morning, said that other nations, particularly those in the European Union, must chip in for research and development. Kennedy said raising their prices by just 20% would dramatically reduce costs in the United States.
Trump teased the executive order Sunday night on Truth Social, saying it would reduce prices by up to 80%.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
JUST IN: PRESIDENT TRUMP&#8217;S &#8220;MOST IMPORTANT AND IMPACTFUL&#8221; TRUTH EVER ISSUED ⬇️
&#8220;I am pleased to announce that Tomorrow morning, in the White House, at 9:00 A.M., I will be signing one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history&#8230;.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/YfyKzked0S">pic.twitter.com/YfyKzked0S</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1921695676032856313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
During Trump&#8217;s first term, he introduced a regulation for certain cancer drugs and others to be the same price as they were abroad. The Biden administration, however, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-he-will-sign-executive-order-aimed-at-lowering-drug-prices-2a5b9b28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abandoned</a> the regulation after a court struck it down on procedural grounds.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt discussed the order on Monday, saying online that other presidents &#8220;merely talked about addressing this problem – but President Trump is taking bold action to finally solve it and deliver a good deal for American families and seniors.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump is signing a historic Executive Order to significantly reduce drug prices for Americans,&#8221; she posted on X. &#8220;This EO will help bypass costly middlemen and bring the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by other nations.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump is signing a historic Executive Order to significantly reduce drug prices for Americans.
This EO will help bypass costly middlemen and bring the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by other nations.
Other Presidents merely talked… <a href="https://t.co/KTD37JonpH">pic.twitter.com/KTD37JonpH</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1921907172528607564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
White House Health Policy Adviser Calley Means, the brother of surgeon general nominee Casey Means, promoted the order online, posting on X, &#8220;The U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population but produces 75% of worldwide pharma profits. That’s not the free market. It&#8217;s rank corporate capture.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population but produces 75% of worldwide pharma profits.
That’s not the free market. Its rank corporate capture.
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) <a href="https://twitter.com/calleymeans/status/1921923593090248806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;&#8216;Price controls&#8217; would assume we have a free market in healthcare. It is not a free market when America, the largest purchaser of drugs in the world, pays 10 more for major drugs from American companies than Germany,&#8221; Means commented, responding to criticism of the order. &#8220;That’s corruption.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Price controls” would assume we have a free market in healthcare.
It is not a free market when America, the largest purchaser of drugs in the world, pays 10 more for major drugs from American companies than Germany.
That’s corruption.
— Calley Means (@calleymeans) <a href="https://twitter.com/calleymeans/status/1921901461132243425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
The order follows another directive signed by Trump on May 5, which seeks to reduce the regulatory burden on the domestic production of critical medicines.
&#8220;One key area of concern is the length of time it takes to build pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the United States today,&#8221; the order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/regulatory-relief-to-promote-domestic-production-of-critical-medicines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reads</a>. &#8220;New construction must navigate myriad Federal, State, and local requirements ranging from building standards and zoning restrictions to environmental protocols that together diminish the certainty needed to generate investment for large manufacturing projects.&#8221;
The order notes that estimates suggest building new pharmaceutical manufacturing plants &#8220;may take as long as 5 to 10 years, which is unacceptable from a national security standpoint.&#8221;
Within 180 days, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take action to &#8220;update regulations and guidance that apply to the inspection and approval of new and expanded manufacturing capacity of pharmaceutical products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, key starting materials, and associated raw materials in the United States to eliminate any duplicative or unnecessary requirements and maximize the timeliness and predictability of agency review,&#8221; the order notes.

Trump Signs Order To Reduce Drug Prices, Tells Rest Of World To Pay Up

Trump Signs Order To Dramatically Reduce Drug Prices, Tells Rest Of World To Pay Up

Business

Executive

Prices

The Trump administration announces breakthrough deals: a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and a temporary trade deal with China. Team Trump is turning up the heat on anyone obstructing immigration officials after a Democrat mayor is arrested in New Jersey. And President Donald Trump picks a new surgeon general.
It’s Monday, May 12, 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>The Art of The Deal</h2>
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Topline: The Trump administration brokers a ceasefire between India and Pakistan while also hammering out a temporary trade deal with China.
After days of deadly fighting and rising global tensions, the United States has brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and on Monday morning announced an agreement with China to lower tariffs on each other for 90 days.
A joint statement issued by the White House and China&#8217;s Ministry of Commerce said both parties had committed to the pause.
The deal means that President Donald Trump’s 125% reciprocal tariff on China will be reduced to 10%, with a 20% fentanyl tariff still in place, a significant drop from the 145% tariff placed on Chinese goods in the last few weeks. China will drop its retaliatory tariffs on the United States from 125% to 10%. The reductions are to be in place by Wednesday, May 14.
Meanwhile, since they first gained independence in 1947, India and Pakistan have feuded over religion, border disputes, and politics. Last month, a terror attack by Pakistani Islamists on the contested territory of Kashmir sparked the most significant conflict between the two in decades. India responded with air and missile strikes on what they called terrorist camps, but a number of civilians were reportedly killed, including worshippers at two mosques. Pakistan responded with airstrikes of their own, and within 48 hours, the two sides, both of which have large nuclear arsenals, were deploying kamikaze drones, fighter jets, and conventional artillery, targeting each other’s air defense systems – but, again, also killing civilians. By Friday, both countries had begun to evacuate towns along the border, and dozens of airports and school systems were shut down, as thousands of troops were mobilized.
However, there was overwhelming global pressure on both countries to stand down. The United States, China, and Russia, who rarely agree on anything, each lobbied for de-escalation. On Saturday, President Trump stunned the world by announcing the United States had brokered a ceasefire. Writing on Truth Social, he <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122132461766723345&amp;set=a.122114684240723345">said,</a> “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.”
We don’t yet know what the Trump administration may have offered, but there’s a good chance it involved economic incentives – like many other nations, India has been lobbying Washington for lower tariffs since Trump’s Liberation Day formula was announced. India refused to acknowledge America’s role in the deal, but Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed any doubt, saying, “We thank President Trump for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region. Pakistan appreciates the United States for facilitating this outcome.” He went on to thank Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their “valuable contributions for peace.”
<h2>Newark Mayor Arrested At Detention Center During Anti-Deportation Protest</h2>
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Topline: Federal authorities arrested Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka outside of an immigration detention facility on Friday. The Trump administration has threatened to arrest and charge even more Democrats who intervene in immigration enforcement.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka – who is also a candidate for New Jersey governor – was charged with trespassing on Friday after he joined a protest at an ICE facility in Newark. Federal authorities say Baraka entered the compound’s gates with a mob as a bus of detainees entered the facility and refused multiple directives to leave.
“We will not stand for anybody getting in the way of getting rid of criminals in this country,” acting New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba told Fox News, adding that “[Baraka] was given multiple opportunities to remove himself, failed to do so, and has been detained and will be charged.”
Three Democratic members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation – Robert Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, and LaMonica McIver – also entered the facility during the protest. They said they were there to tour the facility in line with their oversight function and condemned Baraka’s arrest.
“[The arrest] was an act of intimidation not just to the mayor, not just to us, but to everyone watching,” Menendez <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1920931260517806572">said</a>.
Congresswoman Coleman has <a href="https://x.com/RepBonnie/status/1920989902520340582">said</a> that the DHS lied about what happened. She claims the Democratic lawmakers entered the detention center while being escorted by the guards and then came out to talk with Baraka, and that a scuffle broke out between federal authorities and the protesters after the congressional delegation left the facility.
Meanwhile, the president has continued to make the deportation of illegal immigrants a priority. On Friday, in response to various legal challenges, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the administration is considering suspending due process for potential deportees. “The Constitution is clear … the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion. So it&#8217;s an option we&#8217;re actively looking at.”
<h2>Trump Nominates New Surgeon General</h2>
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Topline: President Trump has nominated Dr. Casey Means – a popular MAHA figure – for the position of surgeon general.
Means is a Stanford University-trained surgeon and the author of “Good Energy,” which discusses metabolic dysfunction and chronic illness. While at Stanford, she said she became disillusioned with how she saw medicine being practiced, especially when it came to chronic disease. She’s a critic of Big Pharma, thinks Americans are overmedicated, and advocates for prevention and reversal of such diseases by addressing root causes, like food, exercise, and environment.
“While there&#8217;s absolutely a place for surgeons when it comes to acute issues,” Means told Morning Wire last September, “I really need to go out and actually address the bigger issue that is just plaguing Americans across the lifespan today, which is chronic diseases tied to food that are largely preventable and reversible and are not being talked about by the health care system.”
The sudden announcement came after President Trump withdrew his previous nomination of Dr. Janette Nesheiwat one day before she was scheduled to appear before the Senate for confirmation hearings. Nesheiwat was criticized by the MAHA crowd and conservatives over her advocacy for vaccines and masks during the COVID pandemic. Means, on the other hand, advised HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 presidential run and reportedly helped <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-surgeon-general-laura-loomer-794da62da02d5699683e3b1540b8a31f">broker</a> Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump.
Nicole Shanahan, who was RFK’s 2024 running mate, posted online that Kennedy had promised her Means would never work for him in HHS. Shanahan went so far as to call Casey and her brother, Calley Means, “Manchurian assets.” There’s some speculation that Shanahan’s frustration stems from Means being too pro-vaccine.
Kennedy weighed in on the drama and fully backed Means.
“The Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine,” Kennedy said. “Casey Means was born to hold this job.”

MorningWire-0428

Morning Brief: Dems Protest Deportation & U.S. Announces China Trade Deal

Communist China

Global Politics

Illegal Immigration

India

Media

Morning Wire

Pakistan

Tariffs

President Donald Trump on Wednesday dumped Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, his nominee for U.S. Surgeon General, and instead tapped <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mQJu3RG3penNJv8JlcvIR?go=1&amp;sp_cid=a65dddc861279b2428e278f372d63d9f&amp;utm_source=embed_player_p&amp;utm_medium=desktop&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=766026185a4d4922" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Casey Means</a>, a leader in the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; movement.
Means, author of &#8220;Good Energy,&#8221; is a Stanford University-trained physician who pivoted to pursue public health from a radically different perspective than the current medical establishment.
&#8220;I am pleased to announce that Dr. Casey Means will be nominated as our next Surgeon General of the United States of America,&#8221; the president posted to Truth Social. &#8220;Casey has impeccable &#8216;MAHA&#8217; credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans.&#8221;
Trump lauded Means&#8217; &#8220;academic achievements&#8221; and her &#8220;life&#8217;s work&#8221; in the wellness sphere. &#8220;Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History,&#8221; he wrote.
The president also addressed the Nesheiwat withdrawal, writing that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. &#8220;looks forward to working with Dr. Janette Nesheiwat in another capacity at HHS.&#8221;
It&#8217;s unclear why Nesheiwat&#8217;s nomination was pulled, or where she&#8217;ll end up at HHS.
The nomination of Means, who routinely focuses on the massive spike in chronic disease, unsurprisingly sparked cheers from the MAHA crowd.
&#8220;President Trump just nominated Dr. Casey Means as Surgeon General! This is a HUGE win for MAHA,&#8221; Holden Culotta posted on X, captioning video of Means at a Senate roundtable, last year. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump just nominated Dr. Casey Means as Surgeon General! 🔥
This is a HUGE win for MAHA.
Watch Dr. Means EXPOSE the corruption of our healthcare system last year:
“I took zero nutrition courses in medical school.”
“I learned virtually nothing at Stanford Medical… <a href="https://t.co/EmyrlWvZlF">pic.twitter.com/EmyrlWvZlF</a>
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1920230564977659965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
Conservative Isabel Brown reacted, &#8220;Sitting on my sofa holding my 1 week old daughter in tears over this news &#8211; Dr. Casey Means has been nominated to be our next Surgeon General.&#8221; 
&#8220;[President Trump and Secretary Kennedy] have declared war on our system of chronic disease, fake food, &amp; big pharma, and our kids will forever thank us for it,&#8221; Brown added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sitting on my sofa holding my 1 week old daughter in tears over this news &#8211; Dr. Casey Means has been nominated to be our next Surgeon General.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobertKennedyJr</a> have declared war on our system of chronic disease, fake food, &amp; big pharma, and our kids will… <a href="https://t.co/BtGeNDsUr4">pic.twitter.com/BtGeNDsUr4</a>
— Isabel Brown (@theisabelb) <a href="https://twitter.com/theisabelb/status/1920233401124036668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The best news for this country. Chills and never screamed so loud in my life! Congrats [Dr. Casey Means],&#8221; author Vani Hari, a.k.a. Food Babe, posted. 
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The best news for this country. Chills and never screamed so loud in my life! Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/CaseyMeansMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CaseyMeansMD</a> <a href="https://t.co/tmuzX4D5da">pic.twitter.com/tmuzX4D5da</a>
— Vani Hari (@thefoodbabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/thefoodbabe/status/1920220841926639642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Means thanked President Trump for the nomination on her X account.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-food-companies-accelerate-maha-changes-to-recipes?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Major+Food+Companies+Accelerate+MAHA+Changes+To+Recipes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Major Food Companies Accelerate MAHA Changes To Recipes</a>

Dr. Casey Means

‘Huge Win For MAHA’: Trump Dumps Surgeon General Nominee, Taps Top MAHA Leader

Surgeon General

Major companies like PepsiCo and Tyson Foods are accelerating changes to their American recipes to more align with the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; agenda.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-to-ban-petroleum-based-food-dyes?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwbrand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with companies to phase out petroleum-based food dyes by the end of 2026, in addition to banning numerous other color additives.
The CEOs of both PepsiCo and Tyson Foods have said they will be ahead of schedule on such changes.
Ramon Laguarta, the head of PepsiCo, said on a recent conference call that he wants his company to lead the way on ridding products of artificial food dyes. PepsiCo makes drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade, and owns the Frito-Lay brand, which makes Doritos, Lay&#8217;s, and Sun Chips, to name only a few popular products.
Specifically, brands like Lay’s and Tostitos will be rid of artificial colors by the end of 2025 &#8212; a year ahead of Kennedy&#8217;s planned phase-out.
“We’ve been leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats,” Laguarta said on the call, Food Business News <a href="https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/28167-pepsico-to-accelerate-phaseout-of-artificial-ingredients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;When we talk about the US food business, 60%-plus of our (portfolio) today doesn’t have any artificial colors, so we’re undergoing that transition,” he added. “For example, brands like Lay’s will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year, and the same with Tostitos — some of our big brands. So we’re well underway.”
Laguarta also said he stood by the safety of all PepsiCo products as they are now, but acknowledged that this shift to more natural ingredients is what consumers are asking for. In the next couple of years, all PepsiCo products will have natural colors, or, at the least, options for natural colors so the consumer can choose, Laguarta said. 
“Our products are very safe, and there’s nothing to worry about. But we understand that there’s probably going to be a consumer demand for more natural ingredients, and we’re going to be accelerating that transition,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Ideally, we can do this in a very pragmatic, orchestrated way as an industry and not create unnecessary panic or chaos.&#8221;
“But we’ll lead that transition, and in the next couple of years, we’ll have migrated all the portfolio into natural colors or at least provide the consumer with natural color options,&#8221; the CEO added. &#8220;And every consumer will have the opportunity to choose what they prefer. So that’s the journey we’re undergoing.”
Donnie King, the CEO of Tyson Foods, which makes a number of chicken products and frozen foods, said the company will eliminate synthetic dyes from its products by the end of this month. 
&#8220;Just 13 days after [HHS] and the [FDA] announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May,&#8221; Secretary Kennedy celebrated on X. &#8220;I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.&#8221;
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Just 13 days after <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSgov</a> + <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US_FDA</a> announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May. I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of… <a href="https://t.co/HUyKJCTN70">pic.twitter.com/HUyKJCTN70</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1919498755554083277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-in-100-days-how-trump-and-rfk-are-transforming-american-food-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America</a>

Doritos tortilla chips seen in a Target superstore

Major Food Companies Accelerate MAHA Changes To Recipes

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