Top Health Adviser Calley Means Steps Down Just Before Midterm Vote

WASHINGTON — In a move that caught a few insiders off‑guard, Calley Means announced Thursday that he is leaving his post as senior health adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the self‑styled Health Secretary who has made headlines over the past two years.

Means, who has been the public face of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) coalition, said in a brief statement that he departs “with tremendous respect” for President Donald Trump and for Kennedy. He didn’t elaborate on why he chose this moment to walk away, which happens to be just a handful of days before the nation heads to the polls for the midterm elections.

He first joined the White House early in the second Trump administration, leveraging a position at the Department of Health and Human Services to launch scathing attacks on major physician groups, federal agencies and government scientists. According to Means, those bodies were more interested in protecting their own bureaucratic turf than in safeguarding public health.

The resignation arrives at a time when other MAHA leaders have been voicing frustration about what they see as a sluggish response from the Trump administration on key issues—particularly food security, nutrition policy, and the regulation of the controversial weed killer glyphosate.

“The past two years have seen historic policy and cultural change to confront the chronic disease crisis and healthcare incentives that profit from us being sick,” Means said in the statement. “This movement is in the first inning and just getting started.”

Health activist Kelly Ryerson, a prominent voice in the American Regeneration network, praised Means for “fighting the food battle for over two years at HHS despite the obstacles corporate interests keep throwing our way.” She added, “At the heart of MAHA is a shared belief that the nation’s health must not be sacrificed to corporate profit, and that a preventable slide into chronic disease is a threat to America itself.”

On a more personal note, Means is the brother of wellness influencer, author and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means. Earlier this year, Casey’s nomination to become surgeon general hit a snag when lawmakers raised questions about her stance on vaccines, ultimately derailing the confirmation.

Whether Means’s departure signals a broader shift within the MAHA coalition or simply reflects a personal decision remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that his exit adds another twist to an already heated political season, where health policy and election politics are increasingly intertwined.