Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s allies are on a mission to cement his spot as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, come what may in future administrations.
The Telegraph reported that through the non-profit Maha (Make America Healthy Again) Action, Kennedy’s supporters are pulling out all stops with hefty ad campaigns, lobbyist training, and a growing network to keep him at the helm of health policy, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.
Kennedy, once dismissed as a fringe voice on vaccines, captured the hearts of many Americans wary of Big Pharma’s reach and drawn to his outsider appeal during his presidential bid.
His journey from campaign trail to cabinet member shows a knack for navigating turbulent political waters.
After ending his presidential run and throwing his support behind Donald Trump, Kennedy didn’t just fade into the background.
He launched the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, a clear nod to Trump’s iconic slogan, signaling his intent to reshape health policy with a conservative, anti-establishment edge.
Now, at 71, Kennedy has made it crystal clear he’s not eyeing the White House in 2028. His focus, as his allies insist, is on continuing his current role as HHS secretary—a job they claim he was born to do.
“As Bobby Kennedy has said himself, he has no plans to run for president in 2028,” said Tony Lyons, president of Maha Action. Well, that’s a relief for those of us tired of endless political ambition, but it also raises eyebrows about what kind of backroom leverage is being built here.
Maha Action isn’t playing small ball. They’ve poured hundreds of thousands into ads touting Kennedy’s achievements in Trump’s cabinet, including a whopping $700,000 on a single spot to push the administration’s health priorities. That’s not pocket change—it’s a billboard-sized message to keep Kennedy in power.
Beyond ads, Maha Action is training lobbyists and spokespeople to back candidates aligned with the MAGA ethos in upcoming midterm races.
It’s a shrewd move, building a grassroots army that could tip the scales in tight contests while ensuring Kennedy’s influence doesn’t wane.
They’ve even set up an “influencer hub” with online meetings featuring big names like Russell Brand, growing from a modest 40 attendees to a robust 1,600 in their latest virtual gathering. Numbers like that don’t lie—this movement is gaining steam faster than a progressive policy flops on X.
Maha Action’s ambitions don’t stop at digital spaces—they’re planning a 41-city national tour to connect with state senators, governors, and activists. This isn’t just a roadshow; it’s a calculated effort to embed Kennedy’s vision into the fabric of local politics.
They’re also cooking up a fresh batch of short commercials with a Los Angeles filmmaker, ensuring the message stays slick and memorable.
Visuals matter, and Maha Action knows a well-crafted ad can sway more hearts than a dry policy brief ever could.
“By then, Maha will be so big and so powerful that it would be to a candidate’s political detriment not to work with Secretary Kennedy,” Lyons boasted. That’s a bold claim, sounding almost like a polite threat to future candidates: play ball, or get sidelined by a health policy juggernaut.
Political observers aren’t blind to the long game here. “Anytime you build an organisation like that, you can leverage that politically,” noted Andrew Smith, a political science professor from the University of New Hampshire. It’s a fair point—building a machine this size isn’t just about health; it’s about owing favors down the road.
David Karol, a politics professor at the University of Maryland, also chimed in, suggesting Kennedy’s presidential aspirations might not be as dead as claimed, despite the public disavowal.
“I think there’s no reason to believe that he doesn’t want to be president,” Karol said. While that’s speculative, it’s hard to ignore the legacy of a family steeped in White House dreams.