Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement was supposed to become a political force capable of putting health issues at the centre of the Republican agenda. Instead, its fundraising operation is facing an awkward reality: the MAHA PAC has raised just $1 million (£755,500) this year, despite a public promise to raise $100 million (£75.55 million) for Republican candidates.

The shortfall has left some supporters questioning whether the movement is losing its grassroots energy at the moment it matters most.

MAHA's $1 Million Fundraising Reality

Federal filings show that fewer than 20 donors have contributed to MAHA PAC this year, with total contributions reaching about $1 million (£755,500). That is only a fraction of the $100 million (£75.55 million) that Tony Lyons, a Kennedy ally and leading organiser of the movement, said he planned to raise.

The PAC has spent less than $800,000 (£604,400) supporting candidates this year. With the midterm elections approaching, the PAC's limited spending has frustrated supporters who wanted it to back candidates in competitive races that could help Republicans retain control of Congress.

'What a joke!' MAHA influencer Alex Clark said, arguing that millions of voters had effectively been handed to the movement but were now at risk of being ignored.

Supporters Question Where MAHA Money Goes

The criticism is not simply about how much money MAHA has raised. It is also about where the movement's resources appear to be going.

Lyons oversees several MAHA organisations, including MAHA PAC, MAHA Action, MAHA Institute and MAHA Center. Federal filings show MAHA PAC transferred $4 million (£3.02 million) to MAHA Action since January 2025.

The movement has also faced scrutiny over corporate involvement. Lyons recently hosted an invite-only summit at Washington's Waldorf-Astoria, with sponsors including AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI and retail giant Walmart.

That has created an uncomfortable contrast for supporters of Kennedy's health agenda, which frequently attacks powerful corporate interests and the influence of large companies over public health.

Robert Malone, a scientist who previously advised Kennedy on vaccine policy, described the situation as a troubling transformation of the movement.

'What is shocking is how quickly a movement built to challenge that system appears to have reproduced it,' Malone wrote after the summit.

Read more

MAHA Candidates Are Not Seeing the Money

The frustration is particularly strong among candidates and grassroots organisers who expected MAHA's political operation to provide meaningful support.

Of the 85 candidates endorsed by Lyons' MAHA groups, only six are running in competitive races that could determine control of Congress. None of those six had received money from MAHA PAC according to the filings cited by POLITICO.

The PAC has instead concentrated much of its candidate spending on a small number of races. Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow received about 90% of the $790,000 (£596,800) the PAC has spent supporting candidates this year after Lyons backed her successful Senate primary campaign.

Zach Lahn, who won the Republican nomination for Iowa governor, was another candidate Lyons pledged to support, with a $1 million (£755,500) commitment.

But some grassroots supporters say the strategy does not match the movement's broader political needs.

Stephanie Stock, an Ohio health freedom activist whose own campaign received no money from Lyons' groups, said supporters were becoming fed up.

'These guys are throwing galas, and we've just kind of had it,' Stock said, pointing to corporate sponsors at MAHA events.

The Movement Is Splitting Over Politics

Lyons' groups are backing Republicans, while other Kennedy supporters argue that the movement's health concerns should remain nonpartisan. Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America, has moved in that direction by supporting candidates across party lines.

'It's a civil war out there,' said Larry Sharpe, a former Kennedy campaign worker, describing the growing divide.

The split could become politically important as Democrats attempt to attract voters who support MAHA priorities on food safety, chemicals and public health but do not necessarily identify with the Republican Party.

For now, the central problem remains the same: a movement that promised to become a $100 million (£75.55 million) political machine has raised only $1 million (£755,500). MAHA is now facing questions about whether its political operation can deliver the grassroots investment and candidate support that supporters expected.

Read more