How MAHA flipped the GOP script with business
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The MAHA movement has scrambled political alliances by forcing a Republican administration to choose between placating its base — which is intent on cleaning up the food supply — or siding with powerful agriculture interests, some of which helped get President Trump elected.
- The tension was apparent this month, when a leaked Make America Healthy Again Commission draft report infuriated some of the MAHA faithful by not calling for new rules governing the use of pesticides.
Why it matters: Many in today's GOP understand the political value of challenging big food and agriculture businesses and not alienating some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s grassroots base that Republicans need in the midterm elections.
Driving the news: MAHA's rhetoric has allowed Trump to cast himself as a populist and take positions once claimed by progressives.
- "There is a long-standing view that the consumer portion of food belongs to Democrats and the agribusiness portion belongs to the Republicans," said Steven Grossman, president of HPS Group and author of the FDA Matters blog.
- "But that misses the relish that the president and the secretary take in being populists and disrupters," Grossman said. "For Kennedy that means being the voice of the MAHA moms, who are a new consumer voice. For Trump it's a bit more nuanced — he loves the MAHA moms, but can't walk away entirely from the electoral support he received from farmers."
The early months of the administration have seen a push to eliminate synthetic food dyes, restrict ultra-processed foods and mandate new warning labels.
- Industries accustomed to GOP sympathy, or largesse, are being transformed into punching bags.
- To ease the pressure and head off the threat of new regulations, companies like Kraft Heinz, Nestle, Mars and Kellogg have all pledged to eliminate artificial dyes by 2027.
By the numbers: Nearly 7 in 10 Fortune 500 food and beverage companies and 90% of pharmaceutical companies addressed MAHA-related topics in earnings calls, even though they fielded few questions from analysts, per Gravity Research.
- It showed the companies are worried about reputational risk, even if investors aren't, Gravity Research said.
- "The industry's worst nightmare [is] that there's substantial changes in the dietary guidelines," said Jerold Mande, former deputy undersecretary of agriculture and CEO of Nourish Science.
Reality check: The real test will be agriculture. Big GOP donors like Mountaire, Reyes Holdings and British American Tobacco have a lot riding on keeping regulation minimal — and appear to be getting their message across.
- The leaked MAHA Commission draft called the EPA's existing safety guidelines "robust" and recommended studies or voluntary changes.
- That, in turn, raises questions about whether MAHA's cultural influence isn't matched by its policy bite.
What to watch: Kennedy is preparing to hit the road to rally the faithful ahead of the midterms.
- It will be telling how often he brings up familiar MAHA targets, like the widely used farm chemical glyphosate.
