Former Trump administration adviser Calley Means has pulled back the curtain on how powerful food and pharmaceutical lobbyists systematically sabotaged major health policy reforms under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.
Midterm Politics Over Public Health
In a revealing interview with Joe Rogan, Means described how fundraising concerns for the 2024 midterms dictated policy decisions, with then-Chief of Staff Susie Wiles allegedly telling him, “I need the money from the sugar people to win the midterms.” Means characterized Wiles as having a “stranglehold” on policy, delaying initiatives targeting sugar and ultra-processed foods after industry pressure.
The Glyphosate Battle
Means recounted an intense White House fight over whether to address glyphosate—the controversial herbicide in Roundup—in MAHA reports, despite 92% GOP voter support for pesticide regulation. He claimed lobbyists mounted “almost violent” opposition, with one official declaring glyphosate a “national security issue” to suppress discussion. Shockingly, Trump appeared unaware his own Justice Department had sided with Monsanto in a related Supreme Court case.
Vaping and Vaccine Controversies
The former adviser alleged the administration pushed FDA approval of fruit-flavored vapes to appeal to young voters, leading to the ousting of resistant FDA commissioner Marty Makary. Means also described how polling concerns delayed vaccine safety inquiries for a year, and how a problematic Moderna flu vaccine gained approval through lobbyist influence after Makary’s departure.
Means emphasized these weren’t partisan issues but systemic problems, stating: “We’re playing this game where we’re just ping-pong back and forth between the parties with an absolutely broken system.” His account paints a damning picture of corporate influence overriding public health priorities regardless of which party holds power.
Source: thefederalist.com — https://thefederalist.com/2026/11/11/calley-means-how-big-food-and-big-pharma-blocked-popular-maha-reforms/