Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) activists, aligned with conservatives in the medical freedom sphere, have criticized President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for not taking decisive steps to remove messenger RNA vaccines from the market.

An open letter from the activists threatens to pull their political backing if they continue to witness inaction. The letter highlights internal disagreements within Kennedy’s MAHA movement, which arose from the political partnership between Kennedy and Trump. The movement has brought issues like vaccine safety, corporate influences in federal entities, and the presence of chemical additives and pesticides in food supplies to the forefront.

The activists state, “We did not fight to place you in positions of leadership so that our clearly stated policy goals would suffer a ‘bait and switch’ that rebranded the grassroots powerful objection to the mRNA platform as a concern about coloring agents in Skittles.”

MAHA played a crucial role in securing Kennedy, a former Democrat who endorsed Trump and joined his administration, as an ally for Trump. Conversely, Kennedy allowed Trump and Republicans to access a new voter base, which could prove crucial in a year when Trump’s ratings are low.

The letter, signed by over 100 people, includes names like Robert Malone, a former member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel, and Mary Talley Bowden, head of Americans for Health Freedom. Other signatories consist of notable conservatives and former Trump allies such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.), political commentator Tucker Carlson, and Peter McCullough, a former cardiologist and Kennedy ally criticized for spreading COVID misinformation.

The signees objected to the recent appointment of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Erica Schwartz, who stated during her June Senate confirmation hearing that “mRNA technology is safe and effective.” They also criticized Kennedy’s Health and Human Services for approving an mRNA-based flu vaccine and entering into more than $1 billion in contracts with Pfizer for future mRNA vaccines.

The letter states, “Neither Republicans nor Democrats could have prevailed” without the backing of MAHA and health freedom voters. “Health freedom voters can and will walk away if we continue to see inaction — or condescending non-policy — on our core issues.”

Welcome to The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter, hosted by Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Every week we cover the latest moves on how Washington’s decisions influence your health.

Essential Reads

This week’s policy developments impacting healthcare:

• A lawsuit challenges the Trump administration’s plan to exempt medically frail individuals from Medicaid work requirements. Medicaid enrollees, several health care advocacy groups, and the city of Columbus, Ohio, claim the administration’s final rule on work requirements deviates from Congress’s intentions. They argue the rule narrowly defines who qualifies for medical frailty.
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged Trump administration officials not to proceed with an executive order that would give the White House political control over NIH scientific grants. In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, Collins highlighted concerns about the stopgap government measure.
• The Trump administration is set to remove about 760,000 people from Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage due to allegations of fraudulent enrollment, Vice President Vance announced Tuesday. Officials claim the cancellations would save an estimated $2.2 billion in taxpayer funds. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare, stated, “These are not real people. We’re not paying insurance for nonexistent ghosts.”

On Our Radar

Upcoming news themes and events we’re monitoring:

• The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will vote on Thursday on nominations of Nicole Saphier for Surgeon General and Timothy Westlake for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
• The Senate Finance Committee will vote on the nomination of Chris Klomp for Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Ge Bai for Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• The HELP Committee will also conduct a confirmation hearing Thursday on Heidi Overton’s nomination as the next FDA Commissioner.

In Other News

Explore different topics:

Patients are suing GLP-1 weight-loss drug makers over sudden vision loss claims. They allege manufacturers failed to provide adequate information on the possible side effect. While some experts say the evidence linking the drugs to vision issues is mixed, both Novo Nordisk, producer of Wegovy and Ozempic, and Eli Lilly, maker of Zepbound, face lawsuits from affected patients.

Around the Nation

Local and state healthcare headlines:

• Insurance coverage lags as cancer science and treatment advance (KFF Health News)
• Pharmaceutical companies urge Trump administration to safeguard China deals (Wall Street Journal)
• False birth control claims are on the rise, survey finds (Stateline)

What We’re Reading

Health news from other outlets:

• Will Maine voters hold Susan Collins accountable for the end of Roe v. Wade? (Vox)
• Ohio governor’s race centers on Covid, health costs, and scientific trust (Stat)
• Donalds might retain Joseph Ladapo as Florida’s surgeon general — Jolly says he’d fire him (Florida Phoenix)

You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!