Republicans have hitched themselves to the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, banking on its popularity to give them an electoral bounce. But the strategy carries risks.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist who rails against Big Pharma and ultraprocessed food, is the leader of the movement. And Americans’ support for Kennedy is cratering.
Plus, polls show voters care more about reducing health care costs than MAHA priorities such as ending vaccine mandates and promoting raw milk.
Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expired at the end of 2025, fueling a nationwide affordability debate. Roughly 24 million people buy coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, and many are now facing premium payments more than double what they faced last year.
After taking a political back seat in recent years, health care may dominate the 2026 election races.
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Bram Sable-Smith
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Hannah Norman
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Stephanie Armour
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KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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