The White House has announced plans to correct errors found in a much-anticipated federal report led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This report, titled “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA), harshly criticized America’s food supply, pesticide use, and prescription drug practices. However, a detailed examination by the news outlet NOTUS uncovered that some of the hundreds of studies referenced in the report did not exist.
In response to questions about the issues within the report, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that updates would be made. During a press briefing, Leavitt stated, “I understand there was some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated.” She emphasized that these problems do not diminish the overall significance of the report, adding, “But it does not negate the substance of the report, which, as you know, is one of the most transformative health reports that has ever been released by the federal government.”
Secretary Kennedy has positioned himself as a proponent of “radical transparency” and “gold-standard” scientific approaches in the realm of public health. Despite this, he has declined to disclose the identities of the authors behind the 72-page MAHA report. This report calls for greater scrutiny of the childhood vaccine schedule and portrays American children as being overmedicated and undernourished.
Leavitt reassured the public of the White House’s unwavering support for Kennedy, affirming, “The White House has complete confidence in Secretary Kennedy.” Furthermore, Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, sent a statement via email clarifying, “Minor citation and formatting errors have been corrected.” Nixon described the MAHA report as “a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation’s children.”
The NOTUS investigation, published on Thursday, highlighted that seven of the more than 500 studies cited in the MAHA report did not seem to have been published at all. One researcher whose study was cited confirmed that although she conducted research on anxiety in children, she never contributed to the specific report referenced in MAHA. Additionally, some studies were misinterpreted within the report, particularly those addressing children’s screen time, medication use, and anxiety.
Concerns about the MAHA report have already been growing, especially among supporters of President Donald Trump. Farmers, in particular, have criticized the report’s portrayal of chemicals used on U.S. crops. The document’s critical stance on pesticides and agricultural chemicals has sparked pushback from agricultural communities.
The MAHA report is intended to serve as a foundation for new policy recommendations set to be released later this year. To support these initiatives, the White House has requested an additional $500 million in funding from Congress for the continuation and expansion of Kennedy’s MAHA program.