When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK, Jr.) was confirmed in February, 2025, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against him.
The fusion between MAGA (Make America Great Again) and MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) was perceived to be helpful in the campaign and a way to draw more independents to the conservative movement.
Half a year in, many GOP senators have soured on Kennedy and his agenda after he's reportedly created chaos into the vaccine approval and availability processes and systems.
Republicans in the Senate have warned that proven vaccines for serious illnesses, like hepatitis B and measles, could be in jeopardy.
Kennedy's long-standing scepticism towards vaccines and their safety is in contrast with President Trump's Operation Warp Speed and the successful creation and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
On agricultural regulation, Kennedy meddles in the affairs of the USDA and its head, Brooke Rollins, publishing videos calling for a complete overhaul of the approval process of crop protection chemicals.
Ultimately, RFK was given no leeway to touch these essential products for farmers, as lawmakers know that they are essential to uphold steady yields and keep food prices reasonable.
It's apparent that Rollins was appointed at USDA as a counter to Kennedy's opposition to modern farming practices, but all of that begs the question: why have a secretary who you actively need to tell not to do something, instead of one who pursues the goals of the administration?
Kennedy needs to be told not to undermine the health policy of the United States, not to bankrupt farmers, and not to touch the country's energy policy.
His MAHA report, riddled with errors, allegedly AI-generated with alleged nonexistent sources, and seemingly unfeasible deadlines, turned out to hype a lot and reveal little.
What was the expectation towards Kennedy in the first place?
That a hardline climate change activist was going to get on board with a pro-growth policy?
That a career trial attorney who used lawfare as a weapon would suddenly drop his love for hating companies?
Was a serial critic of the pharmaceutical industry going to implement a system allowing for more research into curing diseases Americans suffer from?
RFK has turned Trump's principles on their head.
When he sought to use the momentum of DOGE cuts, Kennedy took the ill-advised decision of firing thousands of HHS staffers, many of whom are responsible for the review and approval of life-saving treatments.
The unfolding chaos of frantic re-hires has yet to be cleaned up.
And what, if any, were the benefits of including Kennedy in the administration?
There's certainly a case to be made about rewarding supporters during the campaign, but RFK himself had made it clear that President Trump made no concrete promises to him about certain positions.
And while it's not a bad idea for the MAGA movement to have a health component, Kennedy's supporters opportunistically jumped on the MAGA train – they are Kennedy supporters before anything else.
This means that his agenda may very well run perpendicular to the White House's without facing political consequences of his own.
As a diagnostic of political loyalty, nothing good can come out of it.
The political price for Kennedy's failures, which are increasingly apparent, won't just be paid by himself.
Everyone will need to bear it if he continues.
It begs the question, whose base is it exactly?
Bill Wirtz is the senior policy analyst at the Consumer Choice Center, focusing on new technology, agriculture, trade and lifestyle regulations. He recently published "No Copy-paste: What Not to Emulate from Europe's Agriculture Regulations." Read Bill Wirtz's Reports — More Here.
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