HJNO Jul/Aug 2025

MAHA REPORT Follow the Money There is no doubt that the country’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has contributed to the ero- sion of public trust in public health. His vaccine rhetoric, outsider status, and contrarian positions have made him a lightning rod for the establishment. He is, perhaps, the most controversial public health official in history — many experts warn he is dangerous. RFK is not a scientist or physician; he is a lawyer, and he often speaks from observation and selected studies, which some call junk science. But know this — as a Kennedy, he has a wicked smart , generational understanding of how money influences policy. And that makes him very dangerous to the powerful — and often obscure — holders of wealth who pull the strings behind the scenes. As the eye of the public is artfully kept on the debate of Republican versus Democrat, right versus left, and flits us from one crisis to the next by the media controlled by industry titans, Rome is burning while the profits and power increase of those who care about nothing but amassing wealth at the expense and even health of our citizens. No, RFK is not wrong about everything. When he points out in a press conference that President Trump received over $100 million from Big Pharma — and the President nods — we should listen. (By the way, VP Harris and President Biden got their fair shares, too.) The puppet masters are controlling all sides. As educated humans who care for our fellow man, we should be asking not only why these groups and individuals are paying such huge sums to politicians, but why in the hell this is allowed? And if, like me, you were taught that “capitalism is better for us,” start ask- ing yourself: “Who wrote that book, and how are we really doing as a society when it relates to the health of our citizens?” I’m not criticizing the capitalists for playing the game well. I’ve just come to believe, in my lifetime, that the rules of capitalism have proven incongruent with ideal public health. If we don’t change those rules, then we are not good stewards of the roles we now have as healthcare leaders, which should be to help others live the fullest lives they can and, of course, do no harm. I am now appalled when I hear “freedom of choice” about children who are given food options that we very clearly see are damaging their bodies and perhaps their minds. Why the MAHA Report on Children Is Important RFK joining the Trump camp was a political maneuver for both men. He torched Democratic bridges when he couldn’t gain traction as a presidential candidate in that party and then ran as an independent. He did have an attractive, loyal following — moms across the country, now dubbed MAHA Moms, who are frustrated and scared for their children’s health and believe him. But Kennedy knew the country wasn’t ready for an independent, and Trump knew he needed those voters to win. As Kennedy kissed the ring, Trump proudly proclaimed, “I’m going to let him go wild on health. I’m going to let him go wild on the food. I’m going to let The Report Nobody Wants You to Read by Dianne Marie Normand Hartley © USHJ 2025 8  JUL / AUG 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS