What they say: “The simple reality of why I left is that there is a very concentrated group of people in the Trump administration who are opposed to what people voted for and who, frankly, – I think it’s very clear – are doing things for other reasons,” Means said on Friday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
- “Especially in many cases to enrich their families,” he added.
- One of his most explosive allegations was that companies that hired the daughter of Susie Wiles, Trump’s longtime White House chief of staff, as a lobbyist were receiving higher funding priority from the administration.
- The episode released shortly before Trump announced that Stephen Miller was replacing Wiles as chief of staff.
The other side: In a statement to Axios, White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said the Trump administration “has already achieved many victories” for the Make America Healthy Again agenda, “including overhauling the dietary guidelines for Americans, removing artificial ingredients from our food supply, and investing in regenerative agriculture.”
- “President Trump and Secretary Kennedy continue to work around the clock to bring more victories to the American people.”
- The Department of Health and Human Services referred Axios’ request for comment to Kennedy’s X post, which said he and Trump “intend to continue fighting until the American people — not corporate influence — drive our health care policies.”
State of affairs: In an interview with Joe Rogan, Means revisited a fight over the Trump administration’s support for Bayer, the maker of Roundup, amid efforts by the MAHA movement to crack down on chemicals like glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller.
- Means alleged that White House officials worked behind the scenes to undermine Kennedy’s team.
- He said a Justice Department lawyer, who previously worked at a firm working with Bayer, reportedly wrote a draft opinion urging the Supreme Court to take up Bayer’s case and limit its liability in lawsuits stemming from the weedkiller’s use.
- In April, the administration also supported Bayer’s efforts to limit lawsuits claiming its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer, drawing criticism from MAHA activists who have pushed for greater scrutiny of the chemical.
- The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that federal law does not require cancer warning labels beyond Environmental Protection Agency mandates.
Zoom: Means also expressed frustration with delays in defining “ultra-processed foods” – another major MAHA priority.
- “There’s a lot of vitriol and lobbying on this issue, you just need to have a simple definition, because food companies don’t want people to know the truth,” he said.
Flashback: In Means’ resignation memo, he said it was an honor to help revise dietary guidelines, advance psychedelic therapies, ban the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for soda, and get food companies to voluntarily remove artificial colors and other additives from products.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with more details about Means’ allegations and the responses from the White House and HHS.
Adriel Bettelheim contributed to this story.
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