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Calley Means Resigns Amid MAHA Momentum Ahead of 2026 Midterms
By Drooid · · How we work
Resignation of a Key MAHA Adviser
Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a leading advocate for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, announced his departure from the Trump administration in early October 2026, less than two weeks before the midterm elections scheduled for November 3. Means did not provide a reason for leaving, but multiple reports link his exit to frustration over delays in finalizing a federal definition of “ultra-processed food,” a priority of the MAHA agenda.
MAHA Movement: Origins and Political Role
MAHA emerged during Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign after former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump. Kennedy, now U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has described the movement as a “historic policy and cultural change” effort aimed at confronting chronic disease and perceived profit-driven health incentives. The movement has become a focal point for Republican outreach, with Kennedy predicting that MAHA will influence the 2026 midterms.
Survey Data Shows Mixed Public Support
Two nationally representative Annenberg Science and Public Health (ASAPH) surveys measured U.S. adult attitudes toward MAHA-related policies. The first wave, conducted April 14-28, 2026, surveyed 1,639 adults; the second wave in August 2026 surveyed 1,904 adults, with 1,475 respondents completing both waves. Key findings include:
- Reducing the number of CDC-recommended childhood vaccines was favored by 53 % of MAHA supporters versus 7 % of nonsupporters.
- Shared clinical decision-making on vaccines received 53 % support from supporters and 15 % from nonsupporters.
- Ending school vaccine mandates garnered 35 % support among supporters and 4 % among nonsupporters.
- Food-related policies attracted broader backing, with 21-60 % support across the six measures.
- Raw-milk sales and ending public water fluoridation ranked among the lowest priorities, cited by 31 % of supporters and 38 % of nonsupporters for raw milk, and 24 % versus 31 % for fluoridation.
The surveys’ margin of sampling error is ±3.5 percentage points at the 95 % confidence level.
Impact on the 2026 Midterms
Means’s resignation arrives as the MAHA movement seeks to solidify its influence on the upcoming midterms. Survey data suggest that while vaccine-related proposals remain divisive, food-policy positions enjoy broader, though still modest, public support. The departure of a high-profile adviser could weaken MAHA’s messaging infrastructure at a critical juncture, potentially affecting Republican candidates who have aligned with the movement’s health-focused platform.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Donalds is super-Maga. This is just a campaign tactic being used by quite a few Republicans all across the country,” — Larry Sabato, political analyst
- “We’re all on the same page with our president supporting what is right,” — Luis Breton