Supporters of a nontraditional medical freedom movement who\u2019ve placed their faith in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are frustrated he hasn\u2019t done more to push their agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But people close to Kennedy have been telling them to be patient. They say he is committed to the aims of the Make America Healthy Again movement but must prioritize President Donald Trump\u2019s goals, according to four people close to Kennedy who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An immediate task for Kennedy is leading a newly created MAHA commission to study causes of chronic disease, with the aim of reducing rates of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other ongoing health issues. Trump has told Kennedy he wants to see measurable success in 12 to 18 months, according to one of the people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, many supporters of the MAHA agenda want Kennedy to prioritize other goals such as halting mRNA vaccines, getting fluoride out of water, permitting interstate sales of raw milk, and stopping pharmaceutical ads on television.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kennedy has tapped a vaccine opponent<\/a> to study possible connections between autism and vaccines \u2014 whose existence is a core belief of some MAHA adherents, though it has been debunked<\/a>. In fact, HHS has launched an effort that Kennedy said will determine by September what has caused the \u201cautism epidemic.\u201d Many autism researchers say this timeline sows doubts about the study\u2019s seriousness.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Kennedy is otherwise occupied with crises such as an escalating measles outbreak and bird flu, and he\u2019s hampered because key staff positions are still being filled, the people said. Federal health agencies are also in turmoil because the Trump administration is cutting 20,000 total full-time jobs at HHS and its divisions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kennedy is working on weekends and leaning on a loose group of informal advisers and friends, the people said. He\u2019ll sometimes call them for input as he dashes between meetings. The circle includes nontraditional doctors, fellow vaccine opponents, media personalities, and self-appointed health gurus. Some have gained unprecedented influence and access to the innermost workings of federal health agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n HHS spokespeople didn\u2019t respond to emails seeking comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n The coming months will test Kennedy\u2019s ability to juggle the challenges and achieve Trump\u2019s goals without losing the support of MAHA adherents, especially special interest and advocacy groups that helped him reach his influential perch overseeing one of the nation\u2019s largest federal agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n His alliance with Trump is new. When Kennedy was running for president in 2024, Trump took to his Truth Social platform<\/a> to say, \u201cKennedy is a Radical Left Democrat, and always will be!!!\u201d \u2014 though Trump\u2019s administration includes other onetime adversaries such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019d like to speak with current and former personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies who believe the public should understand the impact of what\u2019s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. Please message KFF Health News on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\nUSE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n