MAHA Will Not Make Americans Healthy Again: The Politicization of US Federal Health Agencies During the Second Trump Administration

Abstract

The Trump administration is restructuring federal health agencies to implement a new policy agenda. Central to this agenda is the Make America Healthy Again movement, which prioritizes individual solutions to broader public health problems, disregards science and scientific institutions, and aligns closely with the "wellness" industry. While it is normal for each administration to establish its own public health priorities, previous administrations did not dismantle existing institutions to do so. In contrast, this administration is consolidating power and actively politicizing the federal health bureaucracy, undermining scientific expertise and agency independence in the process. These changes are likely to have lasting impacts on both federal health agencies and public health that will extend well beyond the current administration.