Many prominent figures in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement said they felt betrayed Thursday after the Supreme Court ruled that Bayer, the manufacturer of Roundup, did not need to warn consumers of a potential cancer risk associated with its weed killer.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.The ruling is likely to prevent thousands of lawsuits from arguing in state courts that Roundup should come with a cancer warning.A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is linked to cancer.
That has long alarmed a subset of Health Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr.’s followers, known as “MAHA moms,” who want to eliminate chemicals from the food supply.
The group rallied in front of the Supreme Court during oral arguments in April, and a smaller cohort expressed their concerns about underregulation of pesticides directly to Kennedy and President Donald Trump at a White House meeting that month.Thursday’s ruling gave new fuel to worries within the movement that the Trump administration has prioritized the interests of the agrochemical industry.“The decision is sickening and would have never happened had the administration not given Bayer Monsanto a favor,” Vani Hari, a high-profile MAHA voice who goes by the moniker “Food Babe,” said in a text message.
Bayer bought Monsanto, the original manufacturer of Roundup, in 2018.“Congress must act to remediate this,” Hari added.The White House did not address NBC News’ questions about the Supreme Court’s decision.The Health and Human Services Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiff — a Missouri man named John Durnell — sued Monsanto in 2019, alleging that two decades of Roundup use had caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.A jury sided with him in 2023, awarding him $1.25 million, but the Supreme Court took up the case on appeal.
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