Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a central figure in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, has resigned from his position in the Trump administration. The departure was announced on Thursday, less than two weeks prior to the upcoming midterm elections.
Means initially joined the Department of Health and Human Services in early 2025 as a special government employee after serving as a White House adviser. In November 2025, he transitioned into a permanent role as senior adviser to Kennedy. A wellness entrepreneur, Means previously worked on Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign and was credited by Kennedy with helping broker the endorsement that brought Kennedy and thousands of MAHA supporters into President Donald Trump’s political coalition.
Administration Initiatives and Policy Achievements
During his tenure, Means contributed to several prominent food and health initiatives pursued by the administration. In a public statement posted to X announcing his resignation, Means highlighted his work on reforming the federal Dietary Guidelines, removing artificial food dyes, overhauling government food procurement, pursuing reform of the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) regulatory framework, and curbing soda purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
His efforts also included securing voluntary pledges from select food and confectionery manufacturers to eliminate artificial coloring from products, as well as restricting unhealthy beverages from food stamp coverage across 17 states. Additionally, Means was involved in an April executive order signed by President Trump directing federal agencies to expand research into psychedelic medicine, as well as broader administrative initiatives to increase nutrition education in medical schools.
In his departure statement, Means expressed continued respect for Trump and Kennedy, stating that the administration had advanced significant policy and cultural shifts regarding chronic disease over the preceding two years.
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Tensions Over Agricultural and Regulatory Policies
Despite early legislative and regulatory momentum, internal and external disagreements emerged over the broader MAHA platform. In February, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing of glyphosate, the active chemical ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. MAHA adherents have asserted that the substance contributes to chronic illnesses and contamination of the food supply.
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The executive order followed warnings from Bayer, the producer of Roundup, that it might cease U.S. manufacturing due to ongoing cancer-related litigation and regulatory uncertainty tied to MAHA proposals. The Trump administration defended the action on national security grounds, maintaining that continuous glyphosate production was essential to safeguarding the agricultural supply chain. The administration subsequently backed Bayer in a Supreme Court dispute over lawsuit protections, which the chemical manufacturer won in June. While prominent MAHA figures such as Vani Hari and Kelly Ryerson criticized the administration’s stance as a concession to corporate lobbies, Means noted at the time that he and Kennedy were disappointed by the policy but acknowledged the difficulties of balancing existing agricultural practices with alternative farming systems.
Delays and Departure
According to reporting from Politico citing two administration officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, Means experienced growing frustration over perceived stagnation and external resistance to core MAHA goals. Officials indicated that proposed school lunch rules designed to restrict unhealthy cafeteria ingredients encountered prolonged delays due to industry pushback.
The immediate catalyst for the resignation occurred when a planned meeting between Means, Kennedy, and White House officials regarding the formal definition of ultraprocessed foods was postponed. Establishing this definition has been considered a cornerstone priority for the MAHA platform, intended to lay the groundwork for prospective limits on dietary additives and sweeteners. An administration official reported that the postponement and an opaque regulatory process represented the final factor leading to his departure, alleging that presidential commitments had been impeded by special interest groups.
Following the resignation announcement, Secretary Kennedy praised Means publicly on X, commending his dedication to food system reform and his work addressing childhood chronic disease throughout his time at the agency.
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