Calley Means Resigns as RFK Jr. Adviser 12 Days Before Midterms

Key takeaways

• Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and one of the best-known voices of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, resigned from the Trump administration on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
• Means did not give a reason. Politico, the New York Times and NBC News, citing unnamed officials or sources, reported that he was frustrated by delays to MAHA food priorities, including a federal definition of ultra-processed foods.
• The White House said it was "grateful" for his service. HHS did not respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press and Scientific American.
• Means founded the health-spending company TrueMed. In 2025 two Democratic lawmakers questioned possible conflicts of interest; HHS said in November 2025 that he would divest from the company.
• The departure comes 12 days before the November 3 midterm elections, as some MAHA supporters accuse the administration of slow progress on food and environmental health.

Calley Means resigns: what is confirmed

Calley Means resigns from HHS: the senior adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his departure on October 22 on X without giving a reason. Politico and NBC News, citing unnamed officials, reported he was frustrated by delays to MAHA food priorities.

In his statement, Means said he was leaving "with tremendous respect" for President Donald Trump and Kennedy, according to the Associated Press. He praised both men for taking on what he called a "corrupt DC bureaucracy," NBC News reported, and said the movement was "in the first inning and just getting started."

White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster said the administration is grateful for his time and that Means "has done a fantastic job for the MAHA movement," according to AP and NBC News. HHS did not respond to requests for comment from AP and Scientific American at the time of their reports.

Why did Calley Means leave?

Means himself has not explained the decision, so the accounts below come from anonymous officials and sources quoted by news organisations. None has been confirmed on the record by the White House, HHS or Means.

• Delayed ultra-processed food definition. Two administration officials told Politico that a meeting with Kennedy and White House officials on defining ultra-processed foods was postponed this week. One official described it as "the straw that broke the camel's back." NBC News, citing a source, also named the delayed definition as the final straw. Time reported that both the New York Times and Politico described frustration over slow progress on the issue.
• School lunch rule. The second official quoted by Politico pointed to a delayed school meal rule meant to limit unhealthy cafeteria ingredients, which was held back amid industry concerns.
• Tension with the food industry and other agencies. AP reported that Means clashed with senior White House officials who worried about alienating the food industry. NBC's source also cited Trump's executive order to boost glyphosate supply and Environmental Protection Agency moves on mercury and PFAS standards that ran against Kennedy's agenda.

The White House statement did not address these accounts.

What role did Means hold at HHS and the White House?

Means, a wellness entrepreneur with no medical training, worked on Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign and is credited with helping to bring Kennedy and Trump together before the election. He has drawn criticism from medical professionals for his views on raw milk and fluoride, Scientific American reported.

He entered government as a White House adviser and special government employee (SGE), a status limited to 130 days of work a year. Reuters, citing the New York Times, reported in October 2025 that he had left that temporary role after the 130-day term expired. In November 2025, an HHS spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that Means had been hired as a senior adviser supporting food and nutrition policy.

The TrueMed conflict-of-interest questions

Means co-founded TrueMed (True Medicine Inc.), a company that helps customers use health savings account funds for products such as supplements and fitness equipment, according to Scientific American.

On October 31, 2025, Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and Sen. Adam Schiff of California, both Democrats, wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Kennedy about possible conflicts of interest. They noted that the MAHA report backed wider tax-advantaged spending on wellness products and that TrueMed marketed items such as a $9,000 sauna. Their press release said the public deserved to know whether Means and his business "operated ethically."

The lawmakers asked five questions, including whether Means referred to TrueMed's interests in policy talks and whether his financial disclosures would be made public. They said earlier letters had gone unanswered. When HHS confirmed his permanent hire weeks later, a spokesperson said he would divest from the company, and NBC News reported that he became a full-time HHS adviser after divesting. No wrongdoing has been established by any official body.

What Means says MAHA achieved

In his resignation post and in coverage by Politico, NBC News and Time, Means and reporters pointed to several policy changes he helped push:

• Revised federal dietary guidelines that recommend less ultra-processed food.
• Restrictions on soda and other sugary drinks in food stamp (SNAP) purchases, which Politico said apply in 17 states.
• Voluntary removal of artificial dyes by some food and candy makers.
• An April executive order on psychedelic medicine research and more nutrition education in medical schools.

The ultra-processed food definition remains unfinished. AP reported that acting FDA commissioner Kyle Diamantas has said defining the category "is really hard," and that an August announcement centred on tighter scrutiny of food additives, with only passing mention of ultra-processed foods.

What it means for MAHA before the midterms

Means is the latest prominent figure to leave the health team around Kennedy. Time noted that Marty Makary resigned as FDA commissioner in May, and that Trump withdrew the surgeon general nomination of Means's sister, Casey Means, in April after it lacked Senate support.

The timing matters politically. NBC News reported that some MAHA supporters, including former Kennedy campaign staff, accuse the administration of breaking promises on food, agriculture and environmental health, that some have threatened not to vote, and that some Democrats are courting MAHA voters. Other MAHA activists quoted by AP, such as Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America, praised Means's work on healthier school food. The White House, for its part, credits him with a "fantastic job."

What remains unknown: whether Means will take a public role in the campaign, who will take over his food-policy portfolio at HHS, and when, or whether, the ultra-processed food definition and school meal rule will be released. For more on the race, see our coverage of the US–Canada midterm interference dispute, Trump's role in the Ohio governor's race, the Supreme Court case on student ID voting, and the latest in Politics.

Sources

• Associated Press (via WDIV ClickOnDetroit): MAHA's Calley Means resigns as a top RFK Jr. health adviser days before the midterm elections
• NBC News: Calley Means, a top Kennedy adviser, resigns from Trump administration
• Time: MAHA leader Calley Means steps down from Trump administration health advisory role
• Politico report via Yahoo News: Calley Means, top MAHA ally, resigns from Trump administration
• Scientific American: RFK, Jr., adviser Calley Means announces his resignation
• Office of Rep. Jake Auchincloss: Auchincloss and Schiff probe top RFK Jr. advisor Calley Means (Oct. 31, 2025)
• Sen. Adam Schiff: Auchincloss–Schiff letter on potential conflict of interest (PDF)
• Reuters via Yahoo News: RFK Jr. adviser Calley Means leaves White House role, NYT reports (Oct. 30, 2025)
• Reuters via KFGO: Kennedy ally Calley Means joins Trump administration permanently as food, nutrition adviser (Nov. 18, 2025)