HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports President Trump’s glyphosate order while acknowledging the inherent risks of pesticides, which he describes as “toxic by design.”
A significant controversy has emerged in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement regarding glyphosate, a widely used herbicide. This debate has intensified following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump aimed at ensuring an adequate supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides, which are deemed essential for national defense.
Historically, supporters of MAHA have advocated for a pesticide-free agenda, raising concerns about the potential health risks associated with glyphosate. Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst for Fox News, has expressed his belief that there is substantial evidence linking glyphosate to neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. He argues that this connection warrants a reduction in exposure to the herbicide.
“With Parkinson’s, this association appears to be due to the gut, vagus nerve, and brain axis, where exposure affects the microbiome in the gut, which then ascends slowly to the brain, causing the neurodegenerative disease years later,” Siegel explained. He also noted a growing correlation between high-dose glyphosate exposure, particularly in occupational settings, and various health issues, including metabolic disorders, liver disease, and certain cancers, specifically lymphoma. Siegel emphasized that ongoing research supports the need to limit glyphosate exposure.
Research has indicated that glyphosate, commonly found in products like Roundup, could elevate cancer risks. A study conducted by the University of Washington, published in the journal Mutation Research, revealed that exposure to glyphosate increased the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 41%. Furthermore, the nonprofit Investigate Midwest recently analyzed data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Cancer Institute, concluding that pesticides may contribute to rising cancer rates.
Among the top 500 counties for pesticide use per square mile, over 60% reported cancer rates exceeding the national average of 460 cases per 100,000 people. Investigate Midwest, based in Illinois, conducted interviews with more than 100 farmers, environmentalists, lawmakers, and scientists in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. Notably, Iowa, which utilized 53 million pounds of pesticides last year, has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation.
Bill Billings, a resident of Red Oak, Iowa, was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. He shared, “The cancer specialist said, very directly, my cancer is a result of being exposed to chemicals.”
Kelly Ryerson, founder of Glyphosate Facts and the Instagram account @glyphosategirl, began her journey into researching glyphosate due to her own health struggles. Based in California, Ryerson previously dealt with chronic illness and autoimmune issues, which she noticed improved after eliminating gluten from her diet. After attending a medical conference at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, she began to scrutinize modern farming practices rather than attributing her health issues solely to gluten.
“A lot of times, farmers are spraying Roundup on our grains right before harvest to facilitate an easier harvest,” Ryerson explained. “After that easier harvest, because everything’s dry at the same time, those crops go directly to the mill and may end up in our food supply, at alarmingly high levels.”
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” This classification was based on limited evidence of cancer in humans, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma in some studies, and sufficient evidence in experimental animals.
A spokesperson for Monsanto, the company that produces Roundup, stated that it will comply with President Trump’s executive order to continue producing glyphosate and elemental phosphorus. “President Trump’s executive order reinforces the critical need for U.S. farmers to have access to essential, domestically produced crop protection tools, such as glyphosate,” the spokesperson said.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a long-time critic of Roundup, having worked with his legal team in 2018 to secure a $289 million settlement for a man who alleged that the weed killer caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Following the backlash to Trump’s executive order, Kennedy expressed his support for the order but acknowledged the inherent risks of pesticides.
“Pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms,” Kennedy posted on X. “When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk. Chemical manufacturers have paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cancer claims linked to their products, and many agricultural communities report elevated cancer rates and chronic disease.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment regarding the ongoing debate surrounding glyphosate and its implications for public health.
According to Investigate Midwest, the conversation around glyphosate and its health risks continues to evolve as more research emerges.