Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement draws fans across the political spectrum with its anti-corporate rhetoric, but critics say its lack of specifics poses risks to public health policy.
Keren Landman reports for Vox.
In short:
- MAHA connects diverse causes—like regenerative farming and opposition to vaccine mandates—under broad, feel-good goals but avoids detailing trade-offs or actionable plans.
- Kennedy’s distrust of scientific expertise aligns with Trump-era anti-intellectualism, making his policies more about sentiment than solutions.
- Critics warn that MAHA’s ambiguity enables supporters to project their ideals onto the movement while ignoring the consequences of its anti-corporate stances.
Key quote:
"Lack of clarity is not an accident. In a movement that vilifies experts and political elites, having a plan is suspect."
— Keren Landman, Vox
Why this matters:
MAHA’s appeal is its broad, unifying goals—cleaner food, healthier communities, corporate accountability. ]But Kennedy’s avoidance of specifics means the movement is less a policy framework and more a vibe. Critics say this makes it dangerously malleable. His anti-corporate stance resonates with progressives, while his anti-vaccine rhetoric finds a home among libertarians and conspiracy theorists. Read more: WTF RFK Jr.? An environmental leader’s bizarre journey from hero to pariah.
