Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing a difficult balancing act between his Make America Healthy Again supporters and the White House. The White House is trying to combat President Donald Trump‘s unpopularity, while Kennedy‘s supporters want him to do more to advance their priorities, including curtailing vaccines.
During a recent speech at the Cleveland City Club, Kennedy called for parents to have more “choice” on vaccinating their children, which was met with applause from half of the room. However, the other half of the audience expressed disappointment and frustration.
Kennedy‘s travel schedule is about to get busier, as he is expected to campaign for GOP lawmakers in states with competitive races in the upcoming midterm elections. The goal of these campaign appearances is to shore up support for Republican candidates.
However, Kennedy faces a challenge in maintaining his political viability with GOP voters, especially MAHA supporters. Some MAHA adherents feel betrayed by the Trump administration, which they say is not doing enough to limit pesticides, halt access to covid shots, or investigate conspiracy theories about airplane contrails poisoning the skies.
Despite this, Kennedy has stated that he has no plans to run for the presidency in 2028. When asked by reporters on May 7 whether he sees a path to run for the presidency again as a Republican, he replied: “No, I’m not going to run.”
David Mansdoerfer, who served as deputy assistant secretary for health at HHS in the first Trump administration, said that if Kennedy were to leave his role, MAHA’s influence would severely diminish. Christopher Bosso, a public policy and political science professor at Northeastern University, said that running for president would be a logical move for Kennedy, but he is being a “good soldier” for now.
Recent Trump administration actions have riled up MAHA supporters. The president’s nomination of Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been met with criticism, as she is a doctor and vaccine supporter. Kennedy has said that he supports Schwartz, but MAHA adherents have criticized her backing of covid vaccines.
Kennedy has attempted to thread the needle between the White House and MAHA supporters. He has praised Saphier as the surgeon general pick and described her as a “long-time warrior for the MAHA movement.” However, his public focus on vaccines has been tempered, and his podcast has veered away from the topic and centered instead on healthcare affordability and nutrition.
During his recent congressional hearings, Kennedy focused on initiatives that poll well with voters, such as community events and drug prices. He avoided more controversial topics, including his attempt to upend the childhood vaccine schedule and efforts to explore causes of autism.
A March straw poll found nearly zero support for Kennedy as a presidential candidate among Conservative Political Action Conference attendees. Robert Blendon, professor emeritus of health policy and political analysis at Harvard University, said that Kennedy has a constituency that is attached to MAHA, but may not vote in the Republican primaries or in a general election.
Kennedy ran for president in the 2024 race as a Democrat, then as an independent, before halting his campaign in August 2024 and throwing his support behind Trump. Some of the president’s advisers credit Kennedy’s MAHA voters with tipping the scales just enough to help Trump secure his 2024 election win.
According to a March poll by the outlet, about a third of U.S. adults now identify as MAHA supporters, and support is highest among Republicans who also back Trump’s Make America Great Again political movement. Vaccine policy is galvanizing voters on both sides, with 81% of voters saying that it will have an impact on their decision to vote in the 2026 midterm elections.
Vaccination policy is a highly debated topic, with many voters trusting Democrats more than Republicans on the issue. However, healthcare – especially its costs – looms larger as an issue, with 64% of voters saying that they are very or somewhat worried about healthcare, including the cost of health insurance and out-of-pocket costs.
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