Elon Musk took a victory lap Friday as a Department of Government Efficiency team released a huge trove of Medicaid spending data he said the public could use to look for fraud themselves.
Why it matters: The Trump administration often cites waste, fraud and abuse as justification for deep program cuts — including the nearly $1 trillion in reductions to federal Medicaid spending in last year's Republican budget bill.
Two senior Trump administration health officials — including one who was running the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — are leaving their posts as part of a staff shakeup by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of the midterm elections, two sources confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The departures of deputy health secretary Jim O'Neill and general counsel Mike Stuart coincide with Kennedy's public emphasis on top administration priorities like cleaning up the food supply and lowering drug prices.
The "Make America Healthy Again" movement has the potential to boost Republicans in the midterms — as long as it avoids politically toxic vaccine rhetoric, which could be tough for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Why it matters: Embracing Kennedy on the campaign trail could either boost Republicans' chances of keeping one or both chambers of Congress in November, or further alienate voters increasingly wary of President Trump's tenure.
