The White House has announced plans to correct inaccuracies in a highly anticipated federal government report led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. This comprehensive report, entitled Make America Healthy Again, critiques key aspects of America’s food supply, pesticides, and prescription drugs. Released last week, the report has come under scrutiny due to findings from the news organization NOTUS, which revealed that some studies cited within the document do not actually exist.
During a recent press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the report's discrepancies, assuring the public that the report would be updated. "I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed," Leavitt stated. She emphasized that these corrections do not undermine the report’s overall substance, which she described as one of the most transformative health assessments ever released by the federal government.
Secretary Kennedy has repeatedly advocated for radical transparency and gold-standard science within public health agencies. However, he has been reticent about disclosing the authorship of the 72-page MAHA report. The report voices concerns regarding the current childhood vaccine schedule, labeling the nation’s children as both overmedicated and undernourished.
Leavitt expressed the White House's full confidence in Kennedy and the report, despite the identified errors. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon further supported this, stating in an emailed statement that minor citation and formatting errors have been corrected. He characterized the MAHA report as a historic and transformative evaluation aimed at understanding the chronic disease epidemic affecting America's children.
NOTUS reported on Thursday that seven out of more than 500 studies cited in the MAHA report could not be verified as published. One study’s author confirmed that, while she researched topics related to childhood anxiety, she never authored the report attributed to her. Furthermore, some studies were misinterpreted in the MAHA report, particularly those concerning children’s screen time, medication use, and anxiety levels.
The MAHA report has generated concern among various groups, including loyal supporters of Donald Trump and farmers who criticized the report's portrayal of chemicals used on U.S. crops. The findings from this report are expected to inform policy recommendations that will be released later this year. To support these initiatives, the White House has requested an additional $500 million in funding from Congress for Kennedy's MAHA program.
