Digital MAHA: Online Influence in the Rise of Official Antiscience.

Abstract

At the same time that it has touted the promise to "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA), the second Trump administration is promoting a health policy agenda that is largely divorced from scientific evidence, standards, and professional norms. In communicating MAHA priorities and messages to the US public, federal health leaders and agencies have also made extensive use of social media platforms and digital channels, appropriating the techniques of online health and wellness influencers and emphasizing viral messaging instead of scientific accuracy. Reviewing federal agencies' health communication practices under MAHA leaders, I critically assess the ascent of what I call "digital MAHA" and describe its potential consequences. A rising convergence between national public health institutions and online health-influencing practices may lead to a federal health apparatus that is deregulatory, commercialized, and open to conflicts of interest. It may also negatively affect public health outcomes, reduce levels of health literacy and trust in public health institutions, and increase health disparities. I propose a research agenda to investigate this emerging public health concern and develop interventions. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print September 10, 2026:e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308682).