President Donald Trump just issued an executive order aimed at boosting the production of glyphosate, a widely used herbicide. According to Politico, his directive has resulted in massive backlash from a key part of his base: the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. It is the second time this year that he has received backlash from key supporters.
MAHA activists, many of whom were brought into the Republican fold by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are absolutely furious about the order. Their whole mission centers on cracking down on toxic chemicals they believe are harming Americans, and glyphosate is a prime target for them. Kelly Ryerson, an influential MAHA figure known online as “Glyphosate Girl,” expressed the sentiment perfectly after watching the reactions on X.
She said, “I’m witnessing the bottom falling out on MAHA,” stating that people joined MAHA because of concerns about pesticides and food, “It wasn’t because of vaccines.” Zen Honeycutt, executive director of Moms Across America, echoed this, stating that putting “toxic farming and businesses before the health and safety of our children is a betrayal of every voter who voted for him to [Make America Healthy Again].”
Trump proves again that business interests will always win
This controversy highlights a significant tightrope walk for Trump as he tries to maintain grassroots support while also catering to traditional Republican farm and business allies. Just last month, the White House and GOP strategists were leaning on popular food policies from the MAHA agenda to help secure congressional majorities in the midterms. Now, the president is doubling down on protecting pesticide use.
His administration has already sided with the maker of the glyphosate-based Roundup in a Supreme Court case, and Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation to make it harder to sue pesticide manufacturers. This executive order specifically focuses on glyphosate’s role in keeping food affordable and farmers in business, which are undeniably big issues for the president heading into the midterms.
Some Democrats are already seizing on this, questioning the administration’s commitment to food and health. Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, stated, “Trump’s executive order is nothing more than an attempt to protect one of the biggest producers of a toxic pesticide from legal liabilities.” He believes the administration’s message is clear: “chemical company profits are more important than your health.”
The White House stated that the order isn’t “an endorsement of glyphosate,” but a recognition that phosphorus, a key ingredient in glyphosate, is needed to create weapons and semiconductors. An official said, “There’s plenty to be done on the MAHA front, but we also can’t compromise our security, or our general food supply, either. It’s not very MAHA for there to be mass famines because we don’t grow enough food to feed our population.”
Food safety and environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety, quickly pushed back on the idea of a national security threat, noting there isn’t any imminent new risk to the glyphosate supply.
Published: Feb 22, 2026 02:53 pm