An independent accountability project released Thursday, Oct. 8, by journalist Tiffany Cianci evaluates 42 commitments made by the Trump administration to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. According to its author, the majority did not meet the criteria for completion.
The scorecard rates each pledge as Kept, Partially Kept, or Broken. MAHA activists, including former members of Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign, released a scorecard Thursday claiming the Trump administration broke more than 85% of its promises to MAHA on food, agriculture and environmental health, according to NBC News.
The document covers four officials: President Trump, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and others. The scorecard states that all verdicts are backed by linked sources and that research, scoring, and conclusions were the independent work of Cianci, with contributors assisting in sourcing and verification.
How the Scorecard Defines Its Verdicts
According to the published methodology, a promise is classified as Kept when an administration takes concrete, enforceable action directly advancing the stated commitment; voluntary agreements without enforcement mechanisms do not qualify. A rating of Partially Kept is applied when action was taken but was incomplete, non-binding, contradicted by other actions, or significantly delayed, the scorecard states.
The scorecard states its research relied on primary sources including federal registers, executive orders, agency releases, congressional records, and news reports. Journalists and outside analysts have also attempted similar tracking. STAT News is tracking goals and promises of Kennedy and his MAHA movement -- successes, incompletes, and fails [1].
The White House and HHS have presented a different assessment. HHS has published a "Promises Made, Promises Kept" page stating that under the leadership of Kennedy, HHS has spent the first 500 days of this administration delivering on its mandate with historic reforms across food, healthcare, public health, addiction, research, rural health, and services for American families [2].
Scorecard Cites Revolving Door at EPA, Pesticide Decisions
It cites the return of former American Chemistry Council lobbyist Nancy Beck to the EPA in January 2025, the appointments of Lynn Ann Dekleva and Doug Troutman, and pesticide lobbyist Kyle Kunkler, drawing on reporting from NRDC, EWG, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and U.S. Right to Know.
Independent reporting has documented related concerns. Over 240 supporters of the Make America Healthy Again Commission urged President Trump to block Sections 453 and 507 of the FY 2026 House appropriations bill, which they say grant sweeping legal immunity to pesticide and chemical manufacturers [3].
The MAHA Commission, chaired by Health Secretary Kennedy, unveiled its "Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy" on Sept. 9, 2025, a 20-page plan addressing the chronic disease crisis among American children [4]. Criticism of the administration's progress on related commitments has also come from within the health freedom movement. Willow Tohi reported allegations that Kennedy is being "managed" and roadblocked within Health and Human Services, preventing action on key MAHA priorities, with critics claiming that lobbyists for pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries have been installed in key agencies [5].
Clean Air, Water and Food Programs Also Rated
The scorecard records Broken verdicts on clean air and clean water promises, citing the cancellation of $1.7 billion in EPA grants, plans to roll back 31 regulations, removal of a public chemical spill database, rollback of PFAS drinking water standards, closure of an air pollution research lab, and cuts to PFAS research.
Some observers have identified narrow progress. Walmart announced it will eliminate 11 synthetic dyes and more than 30 additives from its private-label brands by January 2027, aligning with growing consumer and regulatory scrutiny, including recent FDA bans on certain color additives [6]. The FDA also announced a stricter, more systematic review of food additives linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental harm, targeting substances like BHA, BHT, phthalates, and titanium dioxide [7].
Family Farm Pledges and Outstanding Demands
The family farms category records broken promises to support small and regenerative agriculture, citing tariffs that raised input costs, cancellation of $1 billion in conservation funding, closure of Regional Food Business Centers, a roughly one-third reduction in National Organic Program staff, and the loss of thousands of USDA field staff.
The scorecard lists demands for the EPA, USDA, and HHS, including a five-year cooling-off period for industry lobbyists, reinstatement of PFAS drinking water rules, restoration of local food funding, and a ban on six remaining petroleum-based synthetic dyes.
Broader agricultural concerns have been documented by independent outlets. The MAHA movement faces an uphill battle as the Trump administration has been accused of waging war on organic agriculture, with provisions in legislation like the Food Security and Farm Protection Act seeking to override state and local laws that set higher standards for food, farming, and animal welfare [8]. Separate reporting has raised concerns about glyphosate contamination of organic food supplies [9].
Author States Findings Are Independently Verifiable
The scorecard states that all verdicts are backed by linked sources and that research, scoring, and conclusions were the independent work of Cianci, with contributors assisting in sourcing and verification. Quotes and commentary from MAHA leaders and organizations are available on a press inquiries page, according to the document.
The document's release has drawn reactions from multiple quarters. The Daily Beast reported that some of Kennedy's MAHA stalwarts have begun a mutiny over his apparent failure to fulfill his promises, and the scorecard alleged that Kennedy and the administration as a whole haven't fully kept a single MAHA promise since taking office [10]. HuffPost reported that the new report says the Trump administration has broken with key MAHA priorities, potentially creating an opening for Democrats [11].
The MAHA movement itself has evolved from its origins around Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign into a broader grassroots effort prioritizing food transparency, holistic health, and systemic reform, with advocates nationwide driving localized initiatives from victory gardens to legislative campaigns [12]. Whether the administration's record will shift in response to the scorecard remains to be seen.
References
- Keeping track of Kennedy's MAHA goals and promises | STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/11/rfk-jr-maha-promise-tracker-fact-check/
- Promises Made, Promises Kept | HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/promisesmade-promiseskept/index.html
- MAHA advocates urge Trump to block pesticide liability protections in House spending bill - NaturalNews.com, August 19, 2025.
- MAHA Commission unveils comprehensive plan to combat childhood chronic diseases - NaturalNews.com, September 11, 2025.
- A movement stalled Allegations of internal sabotage plague Kennedys HHS agenda - NaturalNews.com, November 16, 2025.
- Walmart takes bold step to REMOVE synthetic dyes and harmful additives from store brand foods - NaturalNews.com, October 03, 2025.
- CHEMICAL FOOD SCRUTINY FDA to actually start doing their job and remove chemicals that cause cancer and ... - NaturalNews.com, May 19, 2025.
- MAHA movement faces uphill battle as Trump administration wages war on organic agriculture - NaturalNews.com, June 05, 2025.
- The Organic Illusion How Glyphosate Contaminates Clean Food and What You Can Do About It - NaturalNews.com, February 11, 2026.
- MAHA Loyalists Deliver Scathing Scorecard to RFK Jr. https://www.thedailybeast.com/maha-loyalists-deliver-scathing-scorecard-to-rfk-robert-f-kennedy-jr
- Whoops: New Report Finds Trump Broke His MAHA Promises. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-rfk-jr-maha-movement-report_n_6abff7f4e4b02a789b35a7a0
- Grassroots health revolution gains momentum as MAHA movement expands beyond RFK Jr - NaturalNews.com, April 29, 2025.
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