Is MAHA alive, or has Glyphosate killed it?
By Easton Martin | February 19, 2026
President Donald Trump issued a sweeping executive order on Thursday aimed at protecting the manufacturers of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the widely used weed killer Roundup. The move seeks to shield chemical giants from a mounting wave of litigation and state level regulations that have targeted the substance for its alleged links to cancer and environmental degradation.
While the administration is framing the order as a necessary step to safeguard American agricultural productivity and domestic manufacturing, the decision has rightly ignited backlash among supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement.
The MAHA initiative, championed by high profile figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was a cornerstone of the administration’s promise to purge toxic chemicals from the food supply. Critics argue that by propping up glyphosate, the president is prioritizing the financial interests of corporations like Bayer over the public health goals he previously endorsed.
For many health advocates, the order represents a direct contradiction of the pledge to address the chronic disease epidemic by cleaning up the environment and reducing the chemical burden on the population.
Industry groups have praised the action, claiming that glyphosate is essential for modern farming and that legal challenges threaten the stability of the global food chain. However, environmental groups point to decades of research suggesting the chemical poses significant risks to human health. One must wonder, is this due to corporate lobbying? It just seems awfully odd for President Trump to make a move like this, almost a complete turn from his MAHA principles.
