Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime environmental lawyer known for his crusades against glyphosate, has made a significant pivot, now aligning with President Trump’s executive order aimed at boosting the production of the controversial herbicide ingredient, as reported by CTV News. This move comes despite Kennedy’s past legal victories, where he successfully argued that Roundup weedkiller contributed to his client’s cancer, making this shift particularly jarring for many of his supporters.
Kennedy posted a detailed statement on X, acknowledging that pesticides are “toxic by design” but framing President Trump’s decision as a necessary step for agricultural stability and national security. He explained, “President Trump did not build our current system, he inherited it. I support President Trump’s Executive Order to bring agricultural chemical production back to the United States and end our near-total reliance on adversarial nations.”
This statement appears to be a gesture of loyalty to President Trump, who has supported Kennedy’s efforts to overhaul vaccine policy at the highest levels of the federal government. However, it also creates a dangerous divide within their political coalition as midterm elections approach in November.
This decision is definitely a tough pill to swallow for Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) supporters
Many of them are growing increasingly frustrated with a Republican-led administration that, in their view, has largely ignored calls to regulate pesticides. Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America and a prominent MAHA activist, expressed her disappointment directly on Kennedy’s post. “It’s been a year. Not a single thing has been done by the EPA to reduce our children’s and families exposure to pesticides,” she wrote, adding, “We love you Bobby but this administration needs to keep their word.”
President Trump’s executive order does more than just boost glyphosate production; it also grants limited legal immunity to manufacturers who follow federal directives. This seems to be part of a larger trend that critics say favors pesticide companies, which consistently defend their products as safe when used correctly, thanks to rigorous regulatory reviews.
For instance, House Republicans have proposed making it harder to sue these companies for not warning about product dangers, and the Justice Department even backed Monsanto owner Bayer in a Supreme Court case in December that could limit its future liability for Roundup.
Kennedy has consistently stated his belief that glyphosate causes cancer, even as recently as January. While some studies support his view, the Environmental Protection Agency maintains that the chemical is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Bayer, for its part, affirmed its confidence in the safety of its glyphosate-based products, noting they have been extensively tested, approved by regulators, and used globally for over 50 years.
Published: Feb 24, 2026 02:30 pm