Secretary Kennedy Remains Popular with MAGA and MAHA Supporters, But Few Others

Liz Hamel

As Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wraps up a series of hearings on Capitol Hill, data from the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll (conducted mostly before the hearings) shows that the Secretary continues to be popular among President Trump’s MAGA base and somewhat popular among supporters of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, but his appeal beyond those two groups is limited. Overall, six in ten voters disapprove of the way Kennedy is handling his job as HHS Secretary, with his strongest approval rating among Republicans supporters of President Trump’s MAGA movement (88%). Among voters who identify as MAHA supporters (43% of all voters), about seven in ten give the Secretary a positive rating, but just a third “strongly” approve of his performance and a similar share (31%) disapprove. This is a fairly tepid rating for a group that aligns with Kennedy’s signature movement.

Kennedy’s tenure as HHS Secretary has been marked by declining trust in the federal health agencies and a lack of confidence in these agencies’ independence and decision-making capabilities that crosses partisan lines. These findings also come as President Trump’s own approval ratings in most polls reaches into record low territory.

Secretary Kennedy, who has a long track record of questioning vaccine safety, made some of his strongest statements in support of vaccines during the latest hearings, including stating that the MMR vaccine is “safe and effective” for most people and that his department has “advised every child” to get it. These recent statements are consistent with public opinion. Despite signs of growing partisanship in vaccine attitudes, our polling in partnership with the Washington Post found that large majorities of parents believe in the safety and importance of childhood vaccines like MMR, and that even a large majority of parents who support Kennedy’s MAHA movement keep their own kids up to date with recommended shots.

Some have suggested Kennedy’s change in tone on vaccines is an attempt to appeal to moderate voters ahead of the midterms, but whether his recent statements will break through to these voters in a news cycle dominated by war, fuel prices, and Congressional scandals is an open question. Others have suggested that Kennedy’s followers will help deliver victories for Republicans on the ballot in November. But with one-third of MAHA voters disapproving of his job performance, whether Kennedy will be an asset or a liability for these candidates remains to be seen.