Amid the Senate confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)—Republicans are being called out for hypocrisy as they openly support Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" slogan.
Kennedy has pledged to tackle what he calls an "epidemic" of chronic diseases, describing them as an "existential" threat to America's future. He argues that Americans have been "mass poisoned by big pharma and big food," blaming federal agencies for failing to intervene.
Under this belief, Kennedy has proposed several policy changes aimed at overhauling the federal government's public health institutions. But let us not forget that Republicans were profoundly critical, even dismissive, toward former First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, a public health initiative created to reduce childhood obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle in children. She was even accused of being a "communist" supporting a "nanny state."
Obama also worked largely behind the scenes to support the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, a landmark law aimed at improving school nutrition. The legislation required more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in school meals while reducing sodium, sugar, and fat. It marked the first major update to school lunch standards in decades, representing a significant step toward healthier meals for millions of students.
The Trump administration rolled back those nutritional standards in 2017 under then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. At the time, Perdue framed the move as a way to give students and schools more “choice” and stated that it would help “make school meals great again.”
Considering how many Republicans have fallen in line behind and praised Kennedy, people were quick to point out the hypocrisy.
Kennedy wants the food for our kids to be healthier, ie, free from additives & chemicals which is not a bad thing. However, when Michelle Obama wanted healthier school lunches, Republicans went crazy mocking her.
— Dara Linthwaite (@darasings.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 10:33 AM
GOPers at RFKs confirmation hearing falling over themselves saying people should eat better to fight chronic disease, kids meals in schools should be healthier. Yet, when Michelle Obama suggested the exact same thing, their little heads exploded. The hypocrisy is just too much with these people!
— Millie Hagen (@karmannghia.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 12:05 AM
MICHELLE OBAMA: “public schools should not serve junk food in the school cafeteria” REPUBLICANS: “anyone who criticizes junk food is a communist” RFK: “they’re putting microchips and plutonium in the junk food to control us” REPUBLICANS: “thank you RFK for being a brave, fearless truth teller!”
— worldsmosthumble.bsky.social (@worldsmosthumble.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Michelle Obama: We should eat healthier. MAGA: HOW DARE YOU &%$#!!!! 😡 RFK Jr: We should eat healthier. MAGA: Yes, we should.
— Alex Cole (@realalexcole.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Michelle Obama has the right to be very angry every time conservatives lap up RFK Jr. going on about organic food. To be blunt, they crucified her because a black woman mothering them was triggering. Now they feel like they're the ones discovering nutrition and love it.
— Jimmy Scrambles 🐞🤠🪩🚈 (@razzberryyams.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 10:20 PM
It’s funny watching all the republicans who called Michelle Obama a Marxist for wanting school food to be healthier now applauding and salivating over RFK Jr. for saying he wants school food to be healthier. They eat hypocrisy for breakfast.
— CoachD_Speaks (@coachdspeaks.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
The "MAHA" hypocrisy entered the spotlight as Washington Post reporters broke the news that Kennedy recently applied to trademark “Make America Healthy Again" for potential use in marketing supplements, vitamins, essential oils, and cryptocurrency, according to documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
In December, Kennedy transferred ownership of the trademark application for “Make America Healthy Again” and its abbreviation to an LLC managed by Del Bigtree, a longtime anti-vaccine activist. The trademark filing covers a wide range of products—including vaccines.
As part of his ethics disclosure, Kennedy reported earning $100,000 from MAHA-branded merchandise such as stickers, hats, and hoodies before transferring the trademark “to a third party for no compensation.” That third party was Bigtree’s LLC.
Bigtree, who previously served as Kennedy’s campaign communications director, also hosted the “MAHA Inaugural Ball” in January through his organization MAHA Action, which aims to mobilize grassroots support for the incoming Trump administration. Trademark documents list Bigtree as a manager of MAHA Worldwide, a largely opaque entity registered to a Wyoming address.
