RFK Jr. struggles to navigate frustrated supporters

Some of Kennedy’s allies say he’s become almost inaccessible since his confirmation and complain that he’s made glacial progress advancing MAHA goals, such as halting mRNAbased COVID shots and removing fluoride from drinking water

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After the Senate voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, supporters of his “Make America Healthy Again” movement cheered at having a champion in the federal government. Now the grumbling has begun.

Some of Kennedy’s allies say he’s become almost inaccessible since his confirmation and complain that he’s made glacial progress advancing MAHA goals, such as halting mRNA-based COVID shots and removing fluoride from drinking water.

The fractures underscore the clash between Kennedy's movement and President Donald Trump's “Make America Great Again” agenda. Kennedy is pulled between his supporters who want swift action to disrupt traditional health care and Trump, who is focused more on tariffs and increasing deportations than on disease, according to four people close to Kennedy who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak to the press. Many of the priorities driving Kennedy's MAHA program are not top priorities of his boss. Kennedy's capacity to navigate those tensions has been further strained by a measles outbreak and the threat of a bird flu pandemic, the people said.