Overview
- President Trump’s Feb. 18 executive order invokes the Defense Production Act to boost domestic supplies of glyphosate and elemental phosphorus, with the text referencing immunity available under Section 707 for actions taken under the Act.
- On The Joe Rogan Experience, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he was not particularly happy with the order but argued the food system’s reliance on glyphosate explains the president’s rationale.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the MAHA alliance remains intact and framed the directive as a national security priority.
- White House senior advisor Calley Means called the decision extremely disappointing and said Kennedy is pushing research and investment to help farmers transition away from chemical dependence.
- MAHA activists are shifting pressure to the EPA’s ongoing glyphosate review, as HHS amplifies non-vaccine themes — including food guidance and drug pricing — through viral, unconventional posts on official channels.