Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and prominent Make America Healthy Again advocate, resigned on October 22, 2026. His departure comes less than two weeks before the midterm elections amid growing friction between grassroots MAHA activists and the Trump administration over delayed food reforms and pesticide regulations. Despite achievements in SNAP benefits and dietary guidelines, internal tensions remain high.
Calley Means resigns as top HHS adviser
- ▪Calley Means resigned less than two weeks before the 2026 midterm elections while the Make America Healthy Again movement struggled to secure financial and messaging stability
- ▪In an October 22, 2026 statement announcing his resignation, Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expressed tremendous respect for President Donald Trump and Kennedy without stating a reason
- ▪The Wall Street Journal first reported Calley Means' resignation from his White House advisory post ahead of the 2026 midterm elections
Calley Means' administration tenure
- ▪While serving at the Department of Health and Human Services, Calley Means attacked leading physician groups, federal agencies, and government scientists, claiming they protect their own interests
- ▪Calley Means and his statement on October 22, 2026 highlighted Make America Healthy Again policy achievements, including expanding access to psychedelics, overhauling dietary guidelines, and limiting SNAP benefits for sugary drinks
MAHA movement faces friction over food policies
- ▪In April 2026, Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas stated that establishing a government definition of ultraprocessed food is difficult, delaying a promised federal benchmark
- ▪Tensions within the Make America Healthy Again movement increased after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February 2026 to increase domestic production of the weed killer glyphosate
- ▪Grassroots Make America Healthy Again activists and figures expressed discontent with the Trump administration's slow progress on regulating ultraprocessed foods and pesticides like glyphosate
Background and initiatives of the Means siblings
- ▪President Donald Trump nominated wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means for surgeon general, but her nomination was withdrawn after Senate confirmation stalled over concerns regarding her medical experience and vaccine stances
- ▪Prior to joining the Trump administration as an adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Calley Means was the founder of Truemed and co-authored the 2024 book "Good Energy" with his sister Casey Means
- ▪Dr. Casey Means gained prominence alongside her brother Calley Means by attributing chronic health conditions in the United States to ultraprocessed foods, additives, and pesticides
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