Overview
- Calley Means announced his resignation from his senior adviser role at HHS on Thursday, October 22, 2026, saying he leaves with “tremendous respect” for President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- People familiar with his decision say the final breaking point was repeated delays on creating a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods, including a postponed meeting this week about the definition.
- Means had driven MAHA priorities inside government—pushing dietary-guideline changes, voluntary food-dye phaseouts, SNAP soda limits and psychedelic research—but he grew frustrated as rulemaking slowed and industry and interagency pushback mounted.
- The administration has taken some MAHA-aligned steps while also backing moves MAHA opposes, such as an order to boost glyphosate production and EPA rollbacks, a mix that has deepened anger among grassroots supporters.
- Means helped broker the 2024 Trump–RFK Jr. alliance and co-wrote the MAHA book Good Energy, so his departure highlights long-term tensions over MAHA’s shift from grassroots activism to formal institutions and corporate-sponsored events and could affect voter loyalty ahead of Nov. 3.