Alex Clark
On Tuesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) lost his primary election against President Donald Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein. While the election demonstrated Trump's continued ability to unseat political opponents in primaries, the race also highlighted divisions within the Trump base, with some MAHA and wellness advocates urging their audiences to support Massie and expressing frustration following his loss.
Massie attended the “People vs. Poison" rally outside the Supreme Court in late April to protest protections for the pesticide Round-Up, which contains glyphosate, an ingredient that has “been linked to cancer in numerous studies.” The move seemed to garner support among some MAHA advocates, who have found themselves at odds with the Trump administration over its efforts to shield Bayer, the maker of the pesticide, from liability.
In the lead-up to the race, MAHA and wellness influencers voiced support for Massie
Podcaster Alex Clark, whom The New York Times has described as “a leading conservative voice” in the Make America Healthy Again movement, repeatedly encouraged her audience to vote for Massie.
She recently wrote, “If you live in Kentucky and follow me and want to have any fighters left for MAHA then you better vote for Massie.”
A few days later Clark posted again about Massie again, writing that she would “crawl through broken glass” to vote for him if she could (she’s not a Kentucky resident) because he “actually has principled beliefs,” and boasting that she had gotten “the homeschool moms in Kentucky alerting everyone to vote Massie.”
Fellow influencer and "MAHA mom" Vani Hari also expressed support for Massie prior to the race.
Hari, who goes by “the Food Babe,” posted a picture of herself with Massie at the “People vs. Poison” rally late last month and wrote, “When I called Rep Massie to be part of this rally, he initially had a conflict - but he moved his plans, flew from across the country to be there because that's the type of courage and commitment he has to fight against the chemical companies that poison us.”
Nutritionist Michaela Bardossas, who also manages social media for the MAHA-aligned organization Moms Across America, encouraged her audience to vote for Massie.
She wrote, “It was an honor to get to meet @repthomasmassie a few weeks ago in DC. He is the BEST congressman we have. Vote vote vote!!!!”
Moms Across America similarly posted, “Kentucky do your thing! And re-elect Rep. Thomas Massie.”
Following Massie's loss, influencers and advocates expressed disappointment
Bardossas appeared disheartened by the results, posting that Massie’s loss should prove “our country is occupied.”
A group of influencers, including wellness influencer Lauren Lee and the account MAHA Mommas, collaborated on a post expressing disappointment at Massie's loss.
The post read: “We never would've read the Epstein Files without Thomas Massie. The ONE man who dared to take on the pedo elite. They took him down instead of the THOUSANDS of rich men who harmed children. Really sit with that. This is America now.”
The founder of Moms Across America, Zen Honeycutt, appeared on CNN to discuss Massie's loss.
“We champion policy and public servants who put children, health, safety, and America's future first, and that’s exactly what Rep. Massie was doing,” she said, adding, “Trump shot him down despite the fact that Massie was being a champion for the American people.”
Honeycutt also suggested that Massie might run for president, stressing the strength of the MAHA voting block: “We are not going to stop. MAHA is not crushed. We're not going away. We are going to continue to fight for the health and safety of our children.”
Reprinted with permission from Media Matters
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