Calley Means Resigns From Trump Administration 2 Weeks Before Midterms as Food Reforms Stall
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 22
Calley Means Resigns From Trump Administration 2 Weeks Before Midterms as Food Reforms Stall
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 22
Summary
Calley Means quit his Health and Human Services advisory role on Thursday, a high-profile departure from the Make America Healthy Again coalition less than two weeks before the midterm elections.
Food policy gridlock drove the exit: Means had pushed chemical-disclosure rules, removal of artificial dyes, a SNAP soda ban and a definition of ultraprocessed foods, but allies said those efforts were stymied.
A White House order backing increased glyphosate production became a turning point for Means, according to MAHA leader Vani Hari, because the movement has targeted the herbicide for elimination.
Means said he still respected Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but his resignation signals further strain inside a coalition that helped return Trump to power for a second term.
How will the food industry's lobbying efforts shape the future of America's health policies now that key reform advocates are stepping down?
With the federal definition of ultra-processed foods delayed, how might grassroots health movements bypass government bureaucracy to change consumer habits directly?