A growing faction of health-focused women who once embraced President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement is now turning sharply against the administration after a controversial executive order involving glyphosate, a widely used herbicide linked to cancer concerns.
The order, signed by Trump on Wednesday, directs the federal government to increase domestic production of glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup — along with elemental phosphorus, a key material used in both fertilizer and certain military munitions. Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law designed to boost production of items considered essential to national security.
For dinner at the LoConti residence, Oct. 14, 2025, in Westlake, Ohio, close friends Brandy Bright, left, and April LoConti, right were working to prepare tacos using the freshest ingredients possible free of dyes or chemicals, and made fresh sourdough tortillas from scratch. Brandy’s daughter, Anya, 9 (second from left) and April’s daughter, Juliana, 8, helped roll tortilla dough in between homeschool lessons given by April.
For many supporters of Kennedy’s MAHA movement, the decision felt like a betrayal. The movement had been fueled in part by fears about “toxins,” pesticides, and chemical exposure in food, with many activists expecting Trump to take a tougher stance against the chemical industry. Instead, they watched the president use emergency-style powers to support the production of one of the most controversial pesticides in the country.
Several prominent MAHA-aligned voices responded with anger and disbelief. Alex Clark, a wellness podcaster associated with the conservative group Turning Point USA, said the move shattered trust among women who had rallied behind Trump and the Republican Party. She warned that the backlash could hurt GOP efforts heading into the midterm elections, questioning whether these voters could be persuaded to stay loyal.
While Trump took most of the blame, many movement leaders have continued to defend Kennedy, despite growing questions about whether he had any influence over the executive order. Kennedy issued a statement supporting the order, framing it as a step to strengthen national defense readiness and protect the food supply. Still, some grassroots supporters questioned why he did not intervene to stop it.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Tennessee State Capitol building while on the “Take Back Your Health Tour” in Nashville on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026.
Vani Hari, a major clean-eating activist with millions of followers, said she has seen unprecedented frustration among MAHA supporters. She argued Kennedy has kept his promises, but suggested Trump may not be doing the same. Online comments on her social media page reflected confusion and disappointment, with many asking why Kennedy allowed the order to happen.
The White House declined to clarify whether Kennedy was consulted in advance, and a spokesperson for Kennedy also refused to comment on that point.
The executive order specifically cites the need to secure supplies of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate as critical for national defense and food security. Glyphosate has been labeled “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and it has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits. Kennedy himself previously worked as a lawyer on a major case against Monsanto, winning a large jury award in 2018. Monsanto is now owned by Bayer.
Bayer responded positively to the executive order, calling it important for American farmers and confirming the company will comply with production demands. A White House spokesman insisted the order was not meant as an endorsement of glyphosate, but rather a supply-chain strategy.
Still, legal and public health experts criticized the move. Georgetown University professor Lawrence Gostin called the use of the Defense Production Act a serious overreach, arguing there is little evidence that the U.S. food supply is in immediate danger.
The executive order also includes limited legal protections for glyphosate producers, although it may not shield them from product liability lawsuits. Critics accused Trump of helping the chemical industry under the guise of national security.
Although controversial, glyphosate is a legal ingredient in many common herbicides.
The backlash has been especially intense among MAHA activists who have spent years campaigning against glyphosate. Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America, called the order an “egregious” betrayal of Trump’s promises. She said Kennedy may have little power to stop Trump, bluntly stating that “Bobby is not in charge.”
Environmental groups, meanwhile, argued that MAHA supporters should have expected this outcome, pointing to past Republican efforts to protect pesticide manufacturers and the administration’s appointment of former chemical industry figures to regulatory roles.
The controversy exposes a widening split between a movement demanding fewer chemicals in food and an administration increasingly aligned with industry. Whether this fracture becomes a lasting political rupture may shape both the MAHA movement’s future — and Republican prospects in the midterms.
