Senior adviser to RFK Jr. resigns from Health and Human Services in DC

Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his resignation from the Trump administration on Thursday, according to reports from wsbt.com and kfoxtv.com. Means was a prominent figure in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which Kennedy campaigned on during his presidential run.

The resignation came amid frustrations over delays in advancing the MAHA agenda, particularly efforts to define and regulate ultraprocessed foods. Two administration officials told Politico that a postponed meeting with White House officials about defining ultraprocessed foods was the final straw for Means.

Means expressed respect for both President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his resignation announcement on the social media platform X, though he did not specify detailed reasons for his departure. Sources cited by Politico described the process as opaque and marked by continuous stonewalling.

The MAHA initiative had aimed to influence dietary guidelines and food policies, including efforts to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply, as discussed in previous HHS announcements in Washington, DC. Means' departure highlights ongoing challenges within the administration regarding health policy implementation.