Internal Disputes Emerge Within Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA Movement

<figure><img alt="U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper REFILE - CORRECTING YEAR FROM " src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/R6RIU3M4XJEVXFK2QUN6VFRXUA.JPG?auth=d663f6255826fdca5a7bd9d48fb14bf2af604c7b2b462221907a5f5b40e6fde4&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2520&amp;height=1418" /><figcaption>Kylie Cooper/REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>Internal disputes are affecting Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s MAHA movement as it seeks to influence the upcoming midterm elections.</p><p>A faction within the “Make America Healthy Again” movement has accused its leaders of aligning with business interests, which they believe undermines the movement's goals.</p><p>According to a report by Politico, this internal conflict is hindering fundraising efforts for Republicans who previously benefited from the coalition's support.</p><p>Much of the criticism is directed at Tony Lyons, a close associate of Kennedy, who oversees a network of MAHA nonprofits and political groups. Lyons had pledged to raise $100 million to support Republican candidates aligned with Kennedy, but reports indicate that his MAHA Political Action Committee has only raised $1 million to date amid ongoing disputes.</p><img alt="Tony Lyons heads the publishing company behind many of RFK Jr.’s conspiracy-laden books. / Heather Diehl/Getty Images" height="2442" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/V6DESFBHNVEWZNKWCR773PSUFE.jpg?auth=af74ba8043279e4cc729642e8a10c278f66a24c41ed194b4154d077486620c45&amp;smart=true&amp;width=3256&amp;height=2442" width="3256" /><p>Lyons faced renewed criticism after hosting a private summit at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., which was sponsored by Anthropic and OpenAI, companies involved in AI technology that some Kennedy supporters view as detrimental to health.</p><p>Walmart, which has been criticized for selling processed foods targeted by the MAHA movement, also sponsored the event.</p><p>Robert Malone, a former adviser to Kennedy, expressed concern in a Substack essay about the movement's apparent shift towards corporate interests, stating, “What is shocking is how quickly a movement built to challenge that system appears to have reproduced it.”</p><p>Stephanie Stock, president of Ohio Advocates for Medical Freedom, criticized the summit as evidence of the movement's leaders prioritizing corporate relationships over grassroots initiatives. Stock, who received support from Lyons’ MAHA Institute in her unsuccessful bid for the Ohio state House, attributed her loss in part to a lack of financial backing from the group.</p><img alt="Kennedy has faced backlash from his own supporters for backing Trump administration moves that run counter to MAHA, including an order protecting a pesticide that he and his allies have said is carcinogenic. / Nathan Howard/REUTERS" height="3787" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/DVSSTJS3YZBIPPS66GY3JDQJYQ.JPG?auth=57d651becd308bf1e14c25d00684764cec2f1740ff591ae017e9c75a3822f555&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5676&amp;height=3787" width="5676" /><p>Stock remarked, “These guys are throwing galas, and we’ve just kind of had it,” referring to the summit's corporate sponsorships. She added, “These outside entities that have branded themselves as representative of the MAHA voting bloc… they are not helping us.”</p><p>Lyons’ MAHA PAC did not respond to a request for comment regarding these issues.</p><video id="apAeBV0M" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/apAeBV0M/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/apAeBV0M.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p>Larry Sharpe, a libertarian politician who previously worked on Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign, described the situation as a “civil war,” criticizing Lyons’ exclusive support for Republican candidates as a potential strategic error that could harm the movement. He likened the divide to historical religious schisms, stating, “It’s almost like a split between Eastern Orthodox and Catholics…They both believe in the afterlife. They both believe Jesus is divine, but they’ve gone different ways.”</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/robert-f-kennedy-jrs-maha-movement-erupts-into-civil-war/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>