Mike Tyson sells MAHA masculinity

A Super Bowl ad featured the convicted rapist tearing into raw vegetables, telling viewers processed food kills. The spot signaled a shift to manly MAHA.

“We're the most powerful country in the world. And we have the most obese, fudgy people.”

Women powered the wellness movement

MAHA moms evangelized for whole foods and raw milk on Instagram, urged Trump to appoint Kennedy, and protested against food additives and glyphosate.

Men now hold all the power

RFK Jr. leads HHS, Mehmet Oz runs Medicare and Medicaid, and Jay Bhattacharya heads NIH. Calley Means remains an influential Kennedy adviser.

Casey Means lost her nomination

Calley Means' sister, a vaccine-skeptical doctor, was nominated for surgeon general but watched her prospects die in the Senate.

MAHA is more than anti-vax

The movement's core priorities are fewer ultraprocessed foods, food dyes, forever chemicals, microplastics, and pesticides. It's a complex coalition.

Kennedy spoke the food language

He rallied against polluters and ultraprocessed Frankenfoods pushed by corporations. This pulled many who might share Democratic politics into Trump's orbit.

Glyphosate Girl found her cause

Kelly Ryerson came to MAHA through personal health problems. At a gluten conference, she heard the issue might be chemicals sprayed on wheat, not gluten itself.

“I feel that I really represent this massive group of women who have either their family member, their child, or they themselves have been struggling with some kind of chronic illness.”

Calley Means brokered the alliance

After Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, Means called Kennedy and suggested it might be a moment for unity. By August, Kennedy was in Trump's camp.

MAHA moms bet on Trump's chaos

Ryerson thought the chemical industry controlled both parties. Trump was so volatile, she believed, he might actually say no to corporate interests.

“Trump is so volatile in many different ways, you don't know which way he's going to go.”

Men took over the priorities

Rather than forcing food and chemical companies to clean up, Trump's health officials became preoccupied with manosphere concerns like testosterone and protein.

Calley Means sells supplements and gadgets

Before advising RFK Jr., Means co-founded Truemed, which helps consumers use medical savings accounts to buy red-light therapy boxes, Meta glasses, and supplements.

Protein became about masculinity

The protein craze is as much about robust male identity as nutrition. Joe Rogan hawks supplements while Andrew Tate claims smoking boosts testosterone.

“There's been a steady drumroll of protein boosterism by characters in the manosphere who trade in ideas that masculinity is in decline and under attack.”

Kennedy declared war on carbs won

His inverted food pyramid framed protein at the top as ending the war on protein, a dog whistle for the war on men and male manual workers.

Four of five new leaders are men

HHS announced five new agency leaders to advance MAHA goals. Four were men, including Admiral Brian Christine, an internationally recognized leader in men's health.

Title X now prioritizes male fertility

New guidance mentions chronic disease 14 times but contraception only once. Much more attention goes to testosterone levels, sperm counts, and avoiding pornography.

HHS canceled women's health grants

The department canceled over half of the Office of Minority Health's grants on infant mortality and postpartum wellness to prioritize exercise and erectile dysfunction programs.

Big Ag got a free pass

Lee Zeldin went on a deregulation spree at EPA, staffed it with former Big Ag lobbyists, and dismantled the office once charged with toxic chemical research.

Trump boosted glyphosate production

Trump issued an executive order calling glyphosate critical for national security. His DOJ helped Bayer win a Supreme Court case about Roundup.

MAHA moms threaten to revolt

Alex Clark warned Republicans that if they ignore MAHA women, they'll lose the midterms and 2028. Ryerson says women still dictate the movement from the grassroots.

“I believe that we won 2024 because of these women; I believe if these women are ignored, we're going to lose the midterms, and I believe we will lose 2028.”

Democrats could win them back

Most MAHA core issues used to be Democratic. Ryerson says MAHA voters are up for grabs, and politicians should battle to propose the best exit from this toxic world.