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Trump-Kennedy Alliance Strains Under Policy Clashes and Agency Turmoil

Disputes over vaccine policy, public health crises, and HHS reorganizations highlight deepening divides between MAGA loyalists and Kennedy's MAHA movement.

Federal employees, elected officials and supporters rally outside the Department of Health and Human Services to protest workforce reductions under the Department of Government Efficiency on February 19, 2025.
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary stand together after Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing the cost of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals by 30% to 80% during an event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12 in Washington, DC.
Makary, Kennedy, Oz and Bhattacharya appear on Fox News on May 8, 2025.

Overview

  • Insiders report growing friction between President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with sources calling their alliance an 'utter disaster.'
  • Tensions between MAGA supporters and Kennedy’s Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) movement have disrupted internal unity within the administration.
  • Kennedy's handling of a Texas measles outbreak and inconsistent vaccine messaging have drawn frustration from the White House.
  • HHS agency shake-ups and new appointments under Kennedy's leadership have led to internal resistance and splintering loyalties.
  • The White House publicly reaffirms Kennedy’s mandate to address America’s chronic disease epidemic despite mounting criticisms and internal discord.