Children Are at the Core of MAHA. Some Moms Are Ecstatic.

Jacque Wagner is a mother of two in Omaha, Nebraska. She has one daughter, Mia, and a “forever 4 year-old angel son,” who died in September from a rare metabolic mitochondrial disease. Her son’s disease sparked Wagner’s interest in reforming the American food system, as well the business of pharmaceuticals. It also turned her on to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ended his campaign on August 23. Though RFK Jr.’s campaign is over, the slogan he has touted since joining Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, Make America Healthy Again, seems to still be taking off. Thanks to Kennedy, Wagner tells Sentient, food and health concerns are finally being talked about on the national stage. Wagner will be voting for Trump.

Wagner is part of a growing number of women who are raising concerns about the influence of big pharma and big ag on the health of their children.  This movement has been a long time in the making — from the environmental movements of the 1970s to the peak of GMO controversy in the 2010s.

For years, women have been behind a surge of nonprofits and books protesting synthetic chemicals in our food and medications in our pharmacies. A Trump win could usher in a new era for these women, who see Kennedy as a real chance to reignite the flame. Concerns about the health effects of ultra-processed foods and corporate influence on medicine are front-of-mind for these supporters, yet not all environmental advocates are on board.

Kennedy’s promises do resonate with some on all sides of the aisle, but a number of food system reformers do not believe Kennedy could fulfill his promises under a second Trump administration. And other critics say the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign is nothing more than a ploy to get more people to vote for Trump.

What Motivates MAHA Moms

Michigan mom Lacey Jaie Barcalow, who will be voting for Trump, thinks that “Make America Healthy Again” is genius.

“As a mom, I don’t give my kid junk. We are very specific about what we feed him, mostly organic fruits and vegetables. I don’t even feed him meat, because you just don’t know what kind of meat you’re getting because they vaccinate the cattle,” Barcalow tells Sentient via audio message.

For Wagner, Kennedy is also filling an education gap. “Protecting our health and becoming informed is nothing to be afraid of,” Wagner wrote to Sentient via Facebook messenger. “It can be overwhelming at times but with information and a strong leader, I strongly believe parents will feel empowered to make the best decisions for their families.”

“He’s one of the only ones with power and the courage to actually expose pharma and food corruption for Americans,” she wrote.

A Trump Win Could Mean an RFK-Led USDA

If former president Trump is reelected, Kennedy appears poised to play a role in the administration. Kennedy says he is slated to become the next head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And RFK claims that Trump promised him “control” of the Department of Health and Human Services, too. Just over the weekend, he posted on social media network X that if Trump is reelected, he will push to have fluoride removed from drinking water.

In a video clip from Fox & Friends posted to Facebook Reels on Oct. 30, Kennedy is asked what he would do to improve school lunches if appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “I’ll get processed food out of school lunch immediately,” he says. “We’re creating a diabetes problem in our kids by giving them food that’s poison. And I’m going to stop that.”

And in a video posted to X, Kennedy describes how “America’s current ag policy is destroying America’s health,” and promises change under his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.

Though many of Kennedy’s opinions are not factual, the argument that America’s food system is unhealthy is echoed by many researchers. For decades, researchers and advocates alike have criticized subsidies that favor more production of corn, as well as those that allow factory farms to pollute without much oversight. Farm workers and agricultural communities experience higher rates of exposure to pesticides and higher illness rates. Fertilizers are poisoning water supplies.

Still, many of Kennedy’s opinions — including his unfounded skepticism about the safety of vaccines (which Kennedy has been quite quiet about on the campaign trail) — concern a wide range of public health experts and advocates, including some of his former allies.

In response to Kennedy’s Fox & Friends episode about school lunch, deputy director of the food and agriculture program at Friends of the Earth Kari Hamerschlag wrote on X: “Sadly, Repubs want to cut $$ for school meals. When Kamala wins, we’d love your help to get Rs on board.”

We've been working on healthy school food for years. Getting rid of processed food will take a lot of $$ for new kitchens & better paid, trained workers to cook from scratch. Sadly, Repubs want to cut $$ for school meals. When Kamala wins, we'd love your help to get Rs on board.

— Kari Hamerschlag (@KariHamerschlag) October 31, 2024

Trump’s immigration policy proposals could also jeopardize a food system supply chain held together in large part by an immigrant workforce.

President of the Environmental Working Group, Ken Cook, also took to X on Oct. 31 to distance his organization from Kennedy: “I’m not here to tell you how to vote, but I am here to tell you that Bobby’s campaign is a con, and a dangerous one.” Cook cites the fact that there is no corporate opposition to MAHA.

@realRFKJr's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign is a con–and a dangerous one. How can you know for sure? For a reason no one has talked about: zero opposition from the industries Bobby claims Trump has empowered him to cast out of Washington. 🧵 1/5 pic.twitter.com/2cOb35qtNC

— Ken Cook (@EWGPrez) October 31, 2024

“Those special interests hurting our health know Make America Healthy Again is a scam,” Cook says in the video. “They know they don’t have to take Bobby Kennedy seriously. Why should you?”

Author of Perilous Bounty and agriculture researcher Tom Philpott also took to X. Philpott was a reporter for Mother Jones covering corporate agriculture for just over a decade, but he also expressed doubt about any real commitment to food system reform:

Yes. If only the Dems had a real program to tackle this. Instead, the issue belongs to that toxic crackpot, JFK Jr. https://t.co/XKDlMYvk30

— Tom Philpott (@tomphilpott) October 31, 2024

Trump’s previous record provides little evidence that he would enact policies to truly change the food system status quo. Historically, Trump has been cozy with large-scale agribusiness and their interests, and some critics are doubtful Trump would be able to give Kennedy the reins.

Still, food industry trade groups are uneasy, and rhetoric, whether grounded in truth or not, is igniting excitement. “The Democrats, they actually don’t care about America being healthy. They want us weak and depleted.” Trump supporter Barcalow wrote.

As CNN reported, Trump’s senior advisers hoped that “Kennedy could reach a subset of women, particularly health-conscious mothers who are distrustful of government and the medical industry.” While women voters overall favor Harris, Kennedy may be Trump’s ticket for reaching some women still on the fence.