RFK Jr defends pesticide protection that he says contributes to the spread of chronic diseases
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Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently defended President Donald Trump’s move to protect and promote the production of a chemical precursor to pesticides, which just two years ago RFK Jr. he said it had a major impact on “the destruction of chronic diseases in America,” and if he was elected he would “stop it”.
Citing national security imperatives, Trump passed an executive order earlier this week to protect a precursor used in the production of a herbicide called glyphosate. Trump’s order described glyphosate-based herbicides as the “cornerstone” of agricultural production in the United States.
The order has created tension among supporters of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda. Just two years ago, in June 2024, when Kennedy was still running for president, he wrote on X, which was once Twitter, that “glyphosate is one of the possible causes of America’s chronic disease epidemic.”
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“The herbicide Glyphosate is one of the possible causes of the epidemic of chronic diseases in America. It is used more here than in Europe. Shockingly, most of our exposure comes from its use as a desiccant on wheat, not as a herbicide. From there it goes directly into our bodies,” said RFK Jr. in 2024 while running for president in 2024. “MY USDA will stop that practice.”
A woman in her garden holds a bottle of Roundup herbicide with the active ingredient glyphosate. (Photo by Wolf von Dewitz/photo alliance via Getty Images)
The MAHA Commission report issued in May 2025 highlighted concerns regarding glyphosate.
“Some studies have raised concerns about a possible link between some of these products and adverse health effects, particularly in children, but human studies are limited,” the report said. “For example, a selection of research studies on herbicide (glyphosate) have noted a range of potential health effects, from reproductive and developmental disorders as well as cancer, liver inflammation and metabolic disorders.”
RFK Jr (left) with various fruits and vegetables (right) (Getty/iStock)
Trump’s order was immediately praised by agriculture industry leaders, but MAHA loyalists were more critical.
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“This move betrays the very MAHA voters who put this administration in power,” Kelly Ryerson, executive director of American Regeneration and a leading voice at MAHA, said in a statement. “It is in direct opposition to the President’s original promise to address the role of pesticides in chronic disease.”
“The privilege has been taken by Big Glyphosate,” added Alex Clark, the podcast host of Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
“It looks like MAHA is breaking up, or she just found out that our husband was having an affair,” she told the Wall Street Journal.
The MAHA Commission report issued in May 2025 highlighted concerns regarding glyphosate. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
When approached for comment, RFK Jr. said Trump’s order on glyphosate “puts America first where it matters most,” citing the country’s preparedness to protect and provide food.
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“We must protect America’s national security first, because all of our priorities depend on it,” he said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. “When malicious actors control critical inputs, they weaken our security. By increasing domestic production, we close that gap and protect American families.”
