The White House has tightened its oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services, reining in Health Secretary RFK Jr. after a series of political and operational setbacks that worried Trump’s aides ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
This change marks a shift for Kennedy, who joined the administration with the freedom to promote his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. President Donald Trump initially supported Kennedy’s efforts to reshape federal health policy, but concerns arose after disagreements over vaccine policy, a slow response to a measles outbreak, and management issues within HHS, according to the Journal.
Chris Klomp, a Trump ally and health policy adviser, is at the center of the reorganization. Klomp has been given significant power inside HHS. The Journal reported that he was brought in to oversee key parts of the department’s operations and messaging as White House aides sought a steadier approach.
The Washington Post also reported this week that Trump has relied on Klomp to produce healthcare successes and stabilize the agency as the administration gets closer to the midterms.
Robert F Kennedy Jr is taking on Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts
RFK Jr released dietary guidelines showing “recommend meals should have no more than 10 grams of added sugar”
Yet Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks sell drinks with over 100 grams of sugar in just one drink
“We’re gonna… pic.twitter.com/heVIlOypqN
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) March 6, 2026
Klomp already held senior healthcare roles in the administration. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services identifies him as director of Medicare and as a deputy administrator at CMS. Reuters reported in February that RFK Jr.’s leadership shake-up placed him in charge of overseeing all HHS operations.
The Journal mentioned that the White House’s involvement followed a review led by senior Trump aide Brad Smith. As part of the changes, key officials lost influence or left their positions, including then-acting CDC director Jim O’Neill. Reuters reported in February that O’Neill and other top HHS officials resigned during a management reshuffle announced by Kennedy.
The Journal stated that RFK Jr. accepted the restructuring, although the changes reduced his control over some everyday decisions and public messaging within the department.
The White House has increasingly focused on aspects of the MAHA agenda that are seen as more politically durable, such as food policy and prescription drug pricing, while backing away from vaccine messages that Republican strategists viewed as a liability with swing voters.
Senator Ron Johnson obtained over 8 million pages of documentation from RFK Jr’s HHS exposing corruption within the CDC.
“They admitted there was a signal in myocarditis and they hid it. They didn’t warn the public. They didn’t warn doctors.” pic.twitter.com/SfuxEpZShV
— illuminatibot (@iluminatibot) March 12, 2026
This shift comes after Kennedy and his allies spent months trying to make MAHA a political advantage for Republicans. A Wall Street Journal report in November noted that Trump and Kennedy’s allies hoped the movement could help energize voters before the 2026 elections. More recently, however, polling and internal GOP warnings led officials to tone down some of Kennedy’s vaccine-related positions and shift the focus to affordability and nutrition issues.
The White House’s May 2025 MAHA report outlined a broad agenda on food, chronic disease, and children’s health, with RFK Jr. as one of its main public representatives. However, the latest change indicates that Trump aides now want stricter control over how this agenda is managed and politically promoted.
Despite the new limits, the Journal reported that Kennedy remains in good standing with Trump. However, the management overhaul indicates that, with the midterms approaching, the White House prioritizes message control and operational order over RFK’s more freewheeling style.
