Calley Means resigns as top RFK Jr. adviser days before US midterm elections

Calley Means, a top adviser to US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a central figure in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, resigned from the Trump administration on Thursday, days before the midterm elections. The Wall Street Journal first reported the departure; Means confirmed it to STAT. (https://www.statnews.com/2026/10/22/calley-means-resigns-white-house-adviser-maha-movement/; https://www.reuters.com/world/us/top-rfk-jr-adviser-calley-means-quits-trump-administration-wsj-reports-2026-10-22/)

In a statement, Means said he leaves “with tremendous respect” for President Trump and Kennedy. He gave no reason for stepping down, but multiple people familiar with his thinking said he was driven by frustration over White House delays on food policy — including a stalled federal definition of ultraprocessed foods and action on pesticides such as glyphosate. (https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/politics/maha-calley-means-quits; https://www.lanacion.com.ar/usa/mahas-calley-means-resigns-as-a-top-rfk-jr-health-adviser-days-before-the-midterm-elections-nid22102026/)

Means, who was widely credited with introducing Kennedy to Trump before the 2024 election — leading to Kennedy’s endorsement and his Cabinet appointment — served first as a White House adviser and later as a top adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services. The White House thanked him for his service, saying he “has done a fantastic job for the MAHA movement”. (https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/22/politics/maha-calley-means-quits)

His exit is the latest blow to the MAHA alliance: his sister, Dr Casey Means, was nominated as surgeon general earlier this year but the nomination was withdrawn after senators raised concerns over her vaccine positions. (https://www.lanacion.com.ar/usa/mahas-calley-means-resigns-as-a-top-rfk-jr-health-adviser-days-before-the-midterm-elections-nid22102026/)

Sources: Reuters, STAT, CNN, AP (via La Nación), Daily Caller, TIME.