Conspirituality

298: MAHA’s Glyphosate Meltdown [feat Mallory DeMille]

March 5, 2026

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  • A recent executive order by Donald Trump, invoking the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic glyphosate production and grant potential liability immunity to Bayer/Monsanto, has caused a significant internal conflict and "civil war" among Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) activists and influencers. 
  • Key MAHA figures like Alex Clark and Vaniya Hari (Food Babe) expressed shock and betrayal over RFK Jr.'s subsequent defense of the executive order, highlighting a fundamental incompatibility between MAHA's anti-pesticide stance and the administration's deregulatory actions. 
  • Following the controversy, numerous wellness influencers immediately pivoted to marketing glyphosate detox supplements and programs, demonstrating a consistent playbook of fear-mongering around a specific toxin to drive sales for their affiliated multi-level marketing (MLM) products. 

Segments

Episode Introduction and Context
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(00:01:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode of Conspirituality focuses on the MAHA movement’s reaction to RFK Jr.’s pivot supporting a Trump executive order that ramps up glyphosate production.
  • Summary: The episode introduces guest Mallory DeMille to discuss the fallout within the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement after RFK Jr. supported an executive order favoring glyphosate production. The order utilized the 75-year-old Defense Production Act, which grants immunity to the producer, Bayer/Monsanto. The hosts highlight the term “tallow daddy” coined by DeMille to describe Kennedy’s perceived betrayal.
Trump’s Glyphosate Executive Order
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(00:03:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Donald Trump’s February 18th executive order framed glyphosate as essential for national defense and food supply security, specifically invoking the Defense Production Act to shield Bayer (Monsanto’s parent company) from lawsuits related to production.
  • Summary: The executive order mandates ramping up domestic production of glyphosate and elemental phosphorus, both primarily sourced by Bayer. Invoking the Defense Production Act provides a liability shield, protecting the company from lawsuits arising from the mandated production. RFK Jr. defended the order by framing it as prioritizing America’s defense readiness and food supply against hostile actors controlling critical inputs.
MAHA Influencer Betrayal Reactions
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(00:06:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Prominent MAHA influencers reacted with shock and rage to the executive order, calling it a betrayal and expressing fears of mass poisoning, while some simultaneously began marketing glyphosate detox products.
  • Summary: Influencers like Alex Clark, Vaniya Hari (Food Babe), and Zen Honeycutt (Moms Across America) posted messages expressing disbelief and disgust over the administration’s support for glyphosate production and liability immunity. Comments on social media reflected MAHA members threatening to withdraw support from Kennedy due to this perceived flip-flop. Simultaneously, some influencers used the panic to market detox supplements to their followers.
Defense of Administration’s Stance
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(00:15:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The defense for supporting the executive order centers on the systemic dependency of modern agriculture on glyphosate, arguing that an immediate ban would cause catastrophic food supply shocks, especially concerning reliance on Chinese imports.
  • Summary: The hosts explain that while glyphosate is toxic, the industrial agricultural system is built around it, meaning an immediate ban would devastate farmers and cause severe shortages of meat, dairy, eggs, and grains. This geopolitical concern regarding potential Chinese export blockage is presented as the primary driver for Kennedy and others defending the order as a necessary measure for national security transition, not endorsement of the chemical itself.
RFK Jr.’s Damage Control and Inaccuracies
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(00:34:48)
  • Key Takeaway: RFK Jr.’s attempt at damage control on Joe Rogan’s podcast contained factual inaccuracies, such as claiming pesticide use is 60 years old and glyphosate is ‘foundational,’ while simultaneously acknowledging his past anti-pesticide activism.
  • Summary: Kennedy claimed Roundup is 60 years old (it is 50) and described glyphosate as the ‘foundational pesticide,’ which the hosts argue is hyperbolic, as it is the most widely used but not irreplaceable. He framed the issue as dealing with a system addicted to pesticides due to decades of federal policy, justifying the need to secure domestic supply before transitioning away.
Glyphosate Science Assessment
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(00:37:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Current rigorous human data, like the Agricultural Health Study, shows no statistically significant link between glyphosate and major cancers at dietary exposure levels, though occupational exposure remains a concern, while activist claims often rely on biased or animal-only studies.
  • Summary: The Agricultural Health Study found no significant association between glyphosate use and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in licensed applicators at high exposures, though critics cite meta-analyses focusing only on highest exposure groups. The 2025 Global Glyphosate Study, which found carcinogenicity, was only conducted on rats and funded partly by advocacy groups. The hosts assert that blaming numerous ailments solely on glyphosate is hyperbolic, similar to political scapegoating.
Influencer Sales Funnels and Detox Shilling
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(00:39:59)
  • Key Takeaway: The glyphosate controversy immediately triggered a sales opportunity for wellness influencers, who used automated direct messages to push MLM supplements, claiming ‘proven’ detoxification results based on weak, company-sponsored clinical data.
  • Summary: Influencers like ‘Raw of Earth’ and ‘Misty’ used the keyword ’toxin’ or ‘detox’ to funnel followers into purchasing MLM products, such as Purium’s Biomedic, claiming specific glyphosate removal rates. These claims are often based on small, non-peer-reviewed, company-sponsored trials lacking dietary control, illustrating a pattern of fear-mongering to sell generalized health solutions.