The Trump administration is reportedly orchestrating a significant leadership reshuffle at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the run-up to the midterm elections, aiming to bolster its healthcare priorities and messaging.
Key Departures and Strategic Moves
According to reports from Politico, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart are expected to leave their roles. These changes are part of a broader strategy to "muscle up the management team" and more effectively implement President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s signature Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) policies.
A White House official explained the rationale behind the shake-up, stating, "HHS Secretary Kennedy, and also the White House, realized that we want to be most efficiently and most effectively implementing that policy and moving the needle on these issues that we see as very clear and unambiguous wins for us. And obviously the polling and such is very clear on these topics as well."
Focus on Popular Policies
The administration is keen to highlight more universally appealing aspects of its health agenda, such as rolling out new healthy-eating guidelines and reducing prescription drug prices, rather than focusing on divisive issues like vaccine skepticism. Internal polling indicates that while MAHA policies related to food and agriculture are broadly popular, vaccine skepticism remains an outlier, even among MAHA supporters.
An Axios memo regarding polling in competitive House districts noted, "While the MAHA agenda is broadly popular in the area [of] food and agriculture, vaccine skepticism stands as an outlier, rejected by most voters even within the MAHA movement."
Controversial Figures and Past Actions
Jim O’Neill, who currently serves as Kennedy’s second in command at HHS, has been a controversial figure. Without a formal medical or public health background, he took over as interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control after the ouster of Dr. Susan Monarez in August. Monarez claimed she was pressured to pre-approve controversial vaccine recommendations and fire career scientists.
More recently, O’Neill has been publicly associated with the administration’s efforts to freeze child care funding to states following allegations of mass fraud at day care centers in Minnesota. An insider told CNN that the administration viewed O’Neill as a poor communicator who hadn’t found his fit within HHS.
Political Strategy and Future Roles
Republican insiders reportedly view MAHA voters as a crucial voting bloc ahead of the midterms. By emphasizing popular health goals like healthy eating and drug price reductions, the administration aims to secure broader support. Both O’Neill and Stuart are expected to be offered other positions within the administration, ensuring their continued involvement in government operations.
The leadership changes are seen as a strategic move to enhance the administration’s messaging and implementation of its health policies, aligning with electoral goals and public opinion trends.
