Democrats face a tough sell with MAHA voters
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Summary
The potential for partnership between newly ascendant Democrats and the "Make America Healthy Again" movement is already threatened by their deep disagreements over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Why it matters: Democrats want to convince health-conscious voters that they're the party that can deliver on food and pesticide use, but many view an alliance with Kennedy as a nonstarter. They're already threatening to investigate Kennedy, and they're clashing bitterly with him over vaccines and other issues — so any common ground with MAHA over nutrition and pesticides could take a back seat to those fights. State of play: Most MAHA-backed candidates lost at the polls last week. Some of the movement's leaders blame low turnout for the GOP's terrible election night, saying MAHA faithful stayed home because they were disappointed with the Trump administration and a lack of progress on food and environmental issues. Whatever they may think of the White House and federal health officials, the base remains intensely loyal to Kennedy, who created the movement during his 2024 presidential bid. "The voters sent a clear message to this administration and to all political parties, that we are not motivated to vote for people who have a lack of integrity. Promises were made, and promises were broken," said Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America. While she's open to working with Democrats going forward, "We want them to work with Kennedy, not against him," she added. "That's the red line for almost all of us. You cross that line and you go after Kennedy, you are never getting our vote," she said. "I'm not interested in working with people who are trying to get rid of our champion." The big picture: Some Democrats were making overtures to MAHA voters on key issues ahead of the midterms. Lawmakers like Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have already said they're willing to work with Kennedy on issues like cleaning up the food supply, school lunches and banning the use of certain pesticides. Now, the movement's leaders are responding to those overtures. Driving the news: "There are good people across the political spectrum who want to be part of this, and we're going to find every last one of them and fight with them," MAHA Action president Tony Lyons said last week on the organization's weekly call. Lyons also rejected suggestions that the movement is dead, saying "we've won the hearts and minds of the American people." Yes, but: Democrats have drawn the line on vaccine issues, refusing to adopt Kennedy's medical freedom agenda or greater scrutiny of vaccine safety. Few seem willing to accommodate Kennedy, who's likely to be a top target for oversight and investigations once Democrats take power. And Kennedy remains committed to relitigating vaccine safety claims that mainstream scientists say have been thoroughly debunked. That's likely to kill any bridge-building before it starts. After Maryland Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks called for Kennedy to resign or be fired, MAHA influencer Kelly Ryerson — known as "Glyphosate Girl" — said she didn't understand the strategy and warned it "will lose many future voters." "Food Babe" Vani Hari wrote to Democrats in response to the same post: "This is not how you win a coalition or work together. This is how you waste time while our children continue to get sicker than any developed nation." Honeycutt warned: "To get rid of him because you don't like the fact that he's trying to make vaccines safer is absolutely insane." The intrigue: Though MAHA hasn't secured major political wins or a raft of new laws, big portions of its platform remain popular with the electorate, with support cutting across party lines and including many independents. For the new Democratic majority, progress on certain MAHA-backed issues may be more important than the actual endorsement of MAHA leadership.
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