don richards

There’s predictable deluge of stories talking down the MAHA movement. We should not lose perspective: MAHA has been one of the most successful and fastest growing political movements in modern American history. In two years, the Overton window of what is acceptable discourse has radically shifted: dangers of ultraprocessed food as an epochal health issue, corporate capture of health institutions, vaccine injury, the central importance of the chronic disease crisis - these are all now prominent and central paradigms in how major institutions think about health that were thrust into discussion by this movement and aren’t going away. DC moves incrementally and slow. That is not an excuse, it is a fact. But given this, policies that have been unthinkable two years ago (flipped food pyramid, landmark food safety reform, soda off snap, psychedelic pathways, vaccine schedule reforms). Despite a relentless effort by protectors of the status quo to smear the movement in the media, these policies are among the most widely supported issues in American politics. Outside of politics, there is a sledgehammer coming to traditional medicine with the wave of personalized health services that patients are demanding - this isn’t going back in the box. Americans are dramatically changing to healthier habits - as evidenced by record growth in real food purchases last year. The majority of moms are asking more questions about vaccines and other pharmaceutical products that pediatricians harangue to them are safe and effective. I can say with certainty that boardrooms do not see MAHA as a failing movement - they see these issues as the most disruptive social force their companies have ever encountered. On the issues where advocates feel progress is slow, the Trump admin has been consciously and deliberately encouraging discussion and debate on these topics (as evidenced by the MAHA report - which is the bravest document released by the government in modern times and consciously invited scrutiny of disruptive topics and the government itself). Culture is not going back, and that is a historic accomplishment of the Trump admin. It is a fact that both parties have stunted dialogue on these issues for decades and have done almost nothing to address the root cause of disease. The union of President Trump and RFK is a pre-eminent reason this movement is where it is. This is not to say the diverse MAHA movement should not continue advocating or expressing disappointment. There are civilizational stakes here and millions of Americans are still dying needlessly because of the orgy of corruption that underlies our food and health incentives. But we should also NOT let the media talk this movement down - or imply that it hasn’t been one of the most successful coalitions in American history in changing culture and policy - and that is also just getting started.