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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has gotten heat from MAHA activists after President Trump issued an executive order to prioritize domestic production of “glyphosate-based herbicides” as “critical to national defense and security.”
Previously, RFK Jr. backed Trump’s executive order in a statement to CNBC.
“Donald Trump’s Executive Order puts America first where it matters most — our defense readiness and our food supply,” he told the outlet.
“We must safeguard America’s national security first, because all of our priorities depend on it. When hostile actors control critical inputs, they weaken our security. By expanding domestic production, we close that gap and protect American families,” he continued.
CNBC noted:
But Kennedy’s MAHA coalition that supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election hates glyphosate, which has been alleged to cause cancer in myriad lawsuits. Now, the executive order threatens to unravel that coalition ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that could loosen the president’s grip on Washington.
“Just as the large MAHA base begins to consider what to do at midterms, the President issues an EO to expand domestic glyphosate production,” Kelly Ryerson, a prominent MAHA activist known as The Glyphosate Girl, said in a post on X. “The very same carcinogenic pesticide that MAHA cares about most.”
Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a watchdog that has pushed back against chemicals in food for years, said in a statement that he “can’t envision a bigger middle finger to every MAHA mom than this.”
“Elevating glyphosate to a national security priority is the exact opposite of what MAHA voters were promised,” Cook said. “If Secretary Kennedy remains at HHS after this, it will be impossible to argue that his past warnings about glyphosate were anything more than campaign rhetoric designed to win trust — and votes.”
Kennedy, a former environmental attorney, notably once won a nearly $290 million case against Monsanto for a man who claimed his cancer was caused by Roundup. The executive order came down one day after Bayer proposed paying $7.25 billion to settle a series of lawsuits claiming Roundup causes cancer.
On Sunday evening, RFK Jr. provided a lengthier explanation on social media.
“I will always tell the American people the truth. Pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms. When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk. Chemical manufacturers have paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cancer claims linked to their products, and many agricultural communities report elevated cancer rates and chronic disease,” RFK Jr. said.
“Unfortunately, our agricultural system depends heavily on these chemicals. The U.S. represents 4% of the world’s population, yet we use roughly 25% of its pesticides. If these inputs disappeared overnight, crop yields would fall, food prices would surge, and America would experience a massive loss of farms even beyond what we are witnessing today. The consequences would be disastrous,” he continued.
“I support President Trump’s Executive Order to bring agricultural chemical production back to the United States and end our near-total reliance on adversarial nations. His EO protects two pillars of national strength: our defense readiness and our food supply. When hostile actors control critical inputs, they directly threaten the security of the American people. The Trump administration will secure these supply chains to eliminate that vulnerability,” he added.
I will always tell the American people the truth.
Pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms. When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk. Chemical manufacturers have paid tens…
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) February 23, 2026
Full statement below:
I will always tell the American people the truth.
Pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms. When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk. Chemical manufacturers have paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cancer claims linked to their products, and many agricultural communities report elevated cancer rates and chronic disease.
Unfortunately, our agricultural system depends heavily on these chemicals. The U.S. represents 4% of the world’s population, yet we use roughly 25% of its pesticides. If these inputs disappeared overnight, crop yields would fall, food prices would surge, and America would experience a massive loss of farms even beyond what we are witnessing today. The consequences would be disastrous.
I support President Trump’s Executive Order to bring agricultural chemical production back to the United States and end our near-total reliance on adversarial nations. His EO protects two pillars of national strength: our defense readiness and our food supply. When hostile actors control critical inputs, they directly threaten the security of the American people. The Trump administration will secure these supply chains to eliminate that vulnerability.
President Trump did not build our current system — he inherited it. For decades, Washington designed modern agriculture. Policymakers wrote farm policy, directed research dollars, structured subsidies and crop insurance, and shaped commodity markets to reward monocultures and maximum yield. Those deliberate choices locked farmers into chemical dependence and prioritized short-term output over long-term soil vitality and human health.
We are now changing course — without destabilizing the food supply.
Alongside @USDA @SecRollins, we are accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture by expanding farming systems that rebuild soil, increase biodiversity, improve water retention, and reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, including pre-harvest desiccation.
We are also driving the rapid adoption of next-generation technologies, including laser-guided weed control, electrothermal and electrical systems, robotics, precision mechanical cultivation, and biological controls that replace blanket spraying with precision intervention.
These solutions are not theoretical. Farmers are already putting them to work. Markets are scaling them. Now the federal government will act with urgency to expand their reach and accelerate adoption nationwide.
I have met with hundreds of farmers and agricultural leaders across the country. They understand the pressures firsthand. Chemical inputs cut into margins. Chemical-resistant pests are spreading. Soil health is declining. Foreign markets are shutting out American produce. Farmers want workable alternatives, and they want policies that support transition without threatening their livelihoods.
At HHS, I am leading a coordinated effort grounded in gold standard science. I am working with Secretary Rollins and @EPALeeZeldin to expedite a better future where a thriving agricultural system is less dependent on harmful chemicals. We are sharing data, coordinating strategy, and supporting farmers through a practical transition.
The Make America Healthy Again agenda forces us to challenge long-standing assumptions about how we grow food, structure markets, and measure success in this country. Reform at this scale will test entrenched interests, and it will not move in a straight line.
President Trump has opened the door to this debate and backed meaningful change — not only in policy, but in the national conversation about health and agriculture.
American farmers stand at the center of this movement. They deserve policies rooted in rigorous science and economic reality. Our children deserve a food system that protects and strengthens their health.
With President Trump’s leadership, we are securing critical supply chains, confronting the health risks embedded in our current system, and deploying every available tool to build a stronger, safer, more resilient American food supply.
The criticism RFK Jr. has faced is largely due to his prior comments about glyphosate.
“I believe that glyphosate causes cancer,” he said on a recent podcast.
“I believe that glyphosate causes cancer.” – RFK Jr
Glyphosate must be taken out of our food supply! pic.twitter.com/c1dZlQUatp— Paul White Gold Eagle (@PaulGoldEagle) February 23, 2026
“The herbicide Glyphosate is one of the likely culprits in America’s chronic disease epidemic. Much more widely used here than in Europe. Shockingly, much of our exposure comes from its use as a desiccant on wheat, not as an herbicide. From there it goes straight into our bodies. My USDA will ban that practice,” he said while running for president in 2024.
The herbicide Glyphosate is one of the likely culprits in America’s chronic disease epidemic. Much more widely used here than in Europe. Shockingly, much of our exposure comes from its use as a desiccant on wheat, not as an herbicide. From there it goes straight into our bodies.…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 14, 2024
During an appearance on “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” earlier this month, RFK Jr. agreed with Von that “we’re dependent upon something that we know makes us sick.”
“Farmers don’t wanna be using chemicals,” RFK Jr. said.
“They have some of the highest cancer rates of any profession,” he continued.
“The issue is, how do you transition off of it without putting farmers out of business?” he added.
Footage below:
RFK Jr. reveals that HHS is working to build an “off-ramp” for glyphosate and pesticide-based farming.
“Farmers don’t wanna be using chemicals.”
“They have some of the highest cancer rates of any profession.”
“And farmers care about their land.”
“They wanna leave it for their… pic.twitter.com/5aR4xLPUJK
— Farm Action (@FarmActionUS) February 13, 2026
Fox News shared further:
A MAHA Commission report released in May 2025 highlighted the concerns surrounding glyphosate as well.
“Some studies have raised concerns about possible links between some of these products and adverse health outcomes, especially in children, but human studies are limited,” the report said. “For example, a selection of research studies on a herbicide (glyphosate) have noted a range of possible health effects, ranging from reproductive and developmental disorders as well as cancers, liver inflammation and metabolic disturbances.”
Trump’s executive order was immediately praised by agriculture industry leaders, but MAHA loyalists were sharply critical.
“This move betrays the very MAHA voters who put this administration in power,” Kelly Ryerson, co-executive director of American Regeneration and a leading grassroots voice within MAHA, said in a statement. “It stands in direct opposition to the President’s original promise to address the contribution of pesticides to chronic disease.”
“The right is captured by Big Glyphosate,” added Alex Clark, a podcast host affiliated with Turning Point USA, founded by the late-Charlie Kirk.
“It feels like MAHA is going through a breakup, or just found out our husband was having an affair,” she told the Wall Street Journal.