In the heart of Washington D.C., amidst the grandeur of the Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, an unexpected phenomenon unfolded. Laughter, nods of recognition, and enthusiastic standing ovations filled the room during a discussion centered on a topic often perceived as somber: chronic disease. This vibrant atmosphere was generated by a roundtable featuring prominent figures on the political right, including the well-known psychologist Jordan Peterson, surgeon Marty Makary, and two fresh faces who have rapidly gained prominence: siblings Calley and Casey Means. From relative obscurity, this dynamic duo has emerged as influential voices within conservative circles, now sharing the stage with figures like Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and even former President Donald Trump.
They, alongside figures like Kennedy, are spearheading an effort to establish a new identity for the Republican party ahead of the upcoming election, one centered around the theme of “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA). In an exclusive interview with STAT, Calley Means revealed that Trump views addressing the chronic disease epidemic in America as a significant “legacy item.” This perspective, at least for the present moment, appears to be genuine and has propelled the Means siblings into the national spotlight. Their growing influence is further underscored by their scheduled appearances on major platforms this week, including Rogan’s widely listened-to podcast and a virtual town hall hosted by Trump himself.
Through their increasingly frequent public engagements, the Means siblings articulate a comprehensive argument detailing the pervasive corruption of financial incentives within healthcare, government, and scientific institutions. They present themselves as truth-seekers dedicated to resolving these systemic issues, potentially through the solutions offered by their own ventures.
This narrative might resonate as familiar, and rightfully so. Kennedy has consistently emphasized similar concerns throughout his presidential campaign, and continues to do so in his current role as a surrogate for the Trump campaign. However, the Means siblings have amplified this message, effectively tapping into conservative anxieties surrounding personal liberties, traditional family values, and the erosion of trust in established institutions.
If the current wave of enthusiasm persists, the “MAHA” policy framework could become a cornerstone of Trump’s health agenda should he secure re-election.
‘He’s getting Republicans to get it’
In recent weeks, Calley Means, the 39-year-old elder sibling and a dynamic startup founder with a commanding presence, has ascended to a level of celebrity within conservative circles. His sister, Casey Means, 37, a poised and articulate physician known for her advocacy of “vegetable prescriptions,” lends her medical expertise (M.D.) to bolster the credibility of their assertions regarding a dysfunctional healthcare system. According to Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Casey’s insights were the driving force behind the roundtable discussion held on Capitol Hill.
Prior to her recent surge in public visibility, Dr. Casey Means was primarily recognized for founding Levels, a health technology company that integrates a habit-tracking application with continuous glucose monitors. Earlier this year, the siblings co-authored “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health,” a comprehensive 400-page book encompassing diet and self-help strategies. The Free Press, a digital platform catering to individuals disillusioned with mainstream media narratives, published an excerpt from their book, highlighting the personal tragedy that served as a catalyst for their activism.
Their mother, Gayle, succumbed to stage 4 pancreatic cancer mere weeks after receiving the diagnosis. The insidious nature of her illness had evaded detection by clinicians at renowned medical institutions. This devastating experience prompted profound questions. Furthermore, as she approached her final moments in early 2021, the recommended treatments offered minimal hope of extending her life but carried the risk of isolating her from her family during the pandemic. This stark reality illuminated the distorted incentives within the medical system.
In the ensuing years, the Means siblings gradually unveiled their worldview through various channels, primarily social media, niche podcasts, and select appearances by Calley on conservative talk shows. However, it was Tucker Carlson’s extensive interview with the pair that catapulted them and their ideas into the mainstream.
Their two-hour conversation with Carlson has amassed over 3 million views since its mid-August release. Throughout the interview, Carlson’s admiration is palpable as he declares, “I truly believe you guys are going to change the world.” This prominent endorsement opened doors to the broader conservative media landscape. Kennedy, who had previously interviewed Calley, amplified their message by reposting the Carlson interview, capitalizing on opportune timing.
Their podcast appearance gained renewed traction shortly before Kennedy withdrew from the presidential race and endorsed Trump. Upon joining the Trump transition team, Kennedy publicly acknowledged the Means siblings, stating his intention to appoint individuals like them to lead national health agencies, if given the authority. (Calley had been a supporter of Kennedy, contributing $1,500 to his presidential campaign between September 2023 and April.)
Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and an advisor to Levels, acknowledges the siblings’ remarkable ability to capture Washington’s fleeting attention. Lustig, a friend of Casey Means and an author of several books on diet-related diseases, had reviewed early drafts of “Good Energy.” He recognizes the considerable challenge in engaging politicians on the issue of chronic illness.
“Calley is doing better than me,” Lustig observed. “He’s getting Republicans to get it.”
While Calley identifies as a conservative and actively promotes right-wing influencers, he maintains that his advocacy transcends partisan lines. Over a few weeks during the summer, he engaged with over 100 congressional staff members and representatives from both political parties, including Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Thomas Massey (R-Ken.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), and members of the Freedom Caucus. He has also exchanged cordial communications with the Biden White House and commended its recent nutrition summit.
The core tenets advocated by the siblings are not entirely novel, nor are they traditionally aligned with right-wing ideology. For decades, liberal voices have raised concerns about environmental pollution and the detrimental effects of Big Agriculture on the food supply. Calley Means’s proposal to remove sugary drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program echoes similar initiatives championed by Democrats, including Booker. (However, in recent years, certain segments on the left have labeled restrictions on food choices as classist or discriminatory.)
In 2022, the Biden White House publicly endorsed the “food is medicine” movement and recommended that states expand Medicaid coverage for such programs. The National Institutes of Health is actively establishing and funding “food is medicine centers of excellence” across the nation, as previously reported by STAT.
Despite partisan divides, there is widespread consensus on certain fundamental facts: Chronic diseases are increasingly prevalent as leading causes of mortality in the U.S. or significant contributing factors. The incidence of many chronic conditions, which are often complex and costly to manage, is on the rise, and the U.S. is not effectively curbing the influx of new cases. This pressing issue often lacks the urgency it warrants and is increasingly affecting children.
Nevertheless, Means’s strategy currently hinges on galvanizing a right-leaning base and, should Trump win the presidency, persuading him to enact executive actions, beginning with a declaration of a state of emergency regarding chronic disease.
Sweeping proposals and walking the line on vaccines
While the complexities of these issues are undeniable, Means is cautious about becoming entangled in “complex policy debates,” as he stated at the Kennedy Room event. He positions himself as an ideas-driven individual with ambitious proposals: prohibiting ultra-processed foods from SNAP, curtailing federal research funding for scientists with conflicts of interest, requiring taxpayers to cover the 45% of the FDA’s budget derived from the industries it regulates, and separating food and drug oversight into distinct agencies.
He advocates for the recognition of food as medicine and proposes redirecting tobacco subsidies towards the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, ideally organic varieties. Furthermore, Means calls for an immediate cessation of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, advocating for its swift elimination through executive order. He aligns with a range of complementary policy recommendations outlined by Kennedy in a recent op-ed.
The extent to which these proposals have resonated with Trump, who is known for his anti-regulation stance, affinity for ultra-processed foods, and amicable relationship with the vaping industry, remains uncertain. Environmental advocates have criticized Trump for weakening environmental protections designed to mitigate air and water pollution, both of which are detrimental to public health. Certain decisions made during his presidency directly contradict the policies championed by Kennedy and the Means siblings.
However, Trump has pledged in campaign materials to establish a commission to investigate the underlying causes of chronic disease if elected and is increasingly relying on Kennedy as a spokesperson on health-related matters.
Where Means’s rhetoric most closely mirrors Trump’s is in his interpretation of facts, where he cultivates distrust in government, researchers, and the healthcare system by portraying a landscape of widespread collusion.
He frequently asserts that dietary guidelines “recommend” that 10% of a 2-year-old’s diet should consist of sugar, which he interprets as evidence of industry influence. In reality, the guidelines advise limiting added sugar intake to less than 10% of daily calories. Means also propagates a social media-driven misconception that government scientists promote sugary cereal as healthier than meat. The research he references involved Tufts University researchers evaluating a new food-scoring algorithm to identify weaknesses, and the cereal-versus-meat finding was an identified anomaly. “It worked well to rate thousands of products,” clarified Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the study’s authors. “Not surprisingly, some exceptions were seen.” (The latest iteration of the algorithm reduces the ratings for cold cereals and improves scores for beef, lamb, and eggs, among other foods.)
Means advocates for the dismissal of all government nutrition scientists. He also claims that 80% of researchers receiving funding from the NIH have conflicts of interest. While numerous researchers have disclosed financial conflicts, STAT could not independently verify the accuracy of this specific figure.
Other comments are more explicitly targeted towards a conservative audience. In portions of their interview with Carlson, the Means siblings criticized the vilification of figures like Rogan who questioned Covid-19 narratives, bans on raw milk purchases, and the perceived dangers of seed oils, unnecessary IVF treatments, and birth control pills (which Casey described as reflecting a “disrespect of life”).
“I had to wake up. I was so deep into this in my 20s,” she shared on the show, referring to her prior focus on professional pursuits rather than family and domestic life.
Then there is the contentious issue of vaccines and the connection to Kennedy. In public appearances, the siblings navigate this topic cautiously. While not explicitly opposing vaccines in general, they lean into certain vaccine-skeptic arguments, ranging from questioning the financial motivations behind the immunization schedule to concerns about parental freedoms and the presence of aluminum in vaccines.
During their appearance on Carlson’s program, Casey questioned the necessity of hepatitis B vaccination for infants – a subtle signal to parents concerned about vaccine safety. (Hepatitis B vaccination prevents mother-to-child transmission and can prevent chronic and incurable infection in adulthood.)
When directly asked by STAT whether he believes vaccines are effective, Calley responded by questioning the premise of the question. “That’s the same thing the other side does. It’s like, what does ‘position on vaccines’ mean? I think the schedule is probably extremely problematic.”
Career pivots and big ideas
The Means siblings embody a narrative that resonates deeply with party leaders: that of prodigal children. Individuals who have experienced the perceived failings of progressive institutions – in their case, prestigious academic and professional environments – and have returned with newfound perspectives.
In a sense, the Means siblings have indeed come full circle. They were raised in Washington D.C. by “spiritual” parents who exposed them to both the Bible and the works of Rumi and Ayn Rand. Their father, Grady, served in the Ford White House as an assistant to the vice president and as a government economist specializing in welfare programs and health care policy. He later founded a consulting firm that evolved into Price Waterhouse Coopers before being acquired by IBM. Like their father, both siblings are Stanford University graduates. They initially pursued conventional white-collar careers until experiencing a fundamental shift in perspective.
Casey was the first to deviate, leaving her medical residency on her 30th birthday. Her departure is often recounted as a pivotal moment: While in the operating room, observing a child with chronic sinus inflammation, she was troubled by her lack of understanding regarding the underlying causes – a knowledge gap she attributes to her medical training. Means realized that nutrition, as a therapeutic modality, was largely absent from her medical education. (This assertion is disputed by Tyler Cole, a fellow Stanford-trained neurosurgeon who graduated around the same time as Means.) Casey transitioned into functional medicine, emphasizing holistic approaches to healthcare, and became the editor of the International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention. She subsequently founded Levels.
Calley pursued studies in political science and economics, undertaking internships in the second Bush White House and at the Heritage Foundation – a right-wing think tank now known for “Project 2025” – before joining John McCain’s presidential campaign. He then earned an MBA from Harvard and entered the consulting industry. (He also briefly ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding a custom wedding dress startup with his wife, which was acquired by David’s Bridal in 2022.)
His brief consulting tenure in the early 2010s, lasting less than five years, provides compelling testimony. Means frequently refers to his work on behalf of food and pharmaceutical companies, wielding the kind of behind-the-scenes influence that elicits public outcry from watchdogs. He claims to have directed millions of dollars from Coca-Cola to organizations like the American Diabetes Association and the NAACP to solidify soda’s place in American dietary habits. Coca-Cola and the NAACP declined to comment on these allegations. A spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association confirmed receiving funding from Coca-Cola around 2010 but did not disclose the specific amount. Reporting in Vox suggests that the ADA received $1.1 million from Coke between 2010 and 2015.
Means has also accused the American Academy of Pediatrics of promoting new obesity drugs like Wegovy in exchange for funding from drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk. He strongly opposes expanding Medicare coverage for GLP-1 drugs, which have already incurred billions in costs for the U.S. healthcare system and the federal government. “The idea that we have an obesity crisis and are trying to spend trillions of dollars of government money to jab kids is a real problem,” he told STAT.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk refuted the portrayal of the company as seeking to buy influence. Novo Nordisk is not listed among the corporate donors publicly disclosed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP declined to comment. However, their guidelines do recommend early diagnosis and intensive lifestyle counseling, as well as considering weight-loss medications for children aged 12 and older in the 95th percentile for weight, and consultation for weight-loss surgery for adolescents with severe obesity.
Means contends that professional medical associations and agencies that receive industry funding “cannot be trusted” to establish objective standards of care. He asserts that the nation requires “right reports” from federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, outlining effective approaches to addressing chronic disease.
The precise nature of Means’s vision remains somewhat ambiguous. At times, it appears he advocates for clinical guidelines developed by individuals entirely free from industry affiliations. He also suggests a greater emphasis on diet and exercise, and a reduced reliance on pharmaceuticals, in treatment recommendations for certain conditions. Furthermore, he calls for new, federally funded research to provide the public with reliable data on the health impacts of ultra-processed foods and environmental toxins, among other factors. “Before talking about banning glyphosate, let’s just demand a study of what glyphosate is doing,” he offered as an example. However, numerous studies already exist examining glyphosate, including those linking it to adverse health outcomes.
When pressed to clarify the specific types of studies he deems acceptable, Means stated only that the NIH should fund foundational research “looking at the health of large populations” and the factors influencing it. “Isolating the exact ingredient or the exact variable is, I think, really problematic. And again, divorcing us from our common sense,” he told STAT.
While large-scale studies are underway – including the NIH-funded All of Us research program – the straightforward approach advocated by Means is complicated by the inherent complexities of scientific inquiry. Scientists often need to investigate individual components, specific variables, and multiple contributing factors to establish causality. This is particularly true in fields like nutrition science and research on environmental exposures, which are inherently challenging.
The study of ultra-processed foods presents significant methodological hurdles. Researchers have documented correlations between UPFs and chronic diseases and have cautioned about the mechanisms by which highly processed foods may bypass the body’s satiety signals. However, the scientific evidence remains inconclusive, largely due to the difficulty and expense of conducting the types of long-term trials necessary to definitively prove that specific foods cause illness over extended periods.
This lack of definitive clarity, in turn, complicates the FDA’s ability to implement regulations or even establish a clear definition of “ultra-processed” – a broad category encompassing items ranging from hot dogs and breakfast cereals to infant formula, plant-based milks, and sandwich bread. The FDA is, however, planning to refine its review process for food additives, which are prevalent in UPFs.
Finding the profit in ‘MAHA’
Regardless of whether the Means siblings achieve their policy aspirations, they are positioned to benefit financially from the growing acceptance of the “MAHA” philosophy. They frequently promote their best-selling book and their respective companies.
Levels, the company co-founded by Casey, is capitalizing on the surging interest in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The company has secured nearly $100 million in venture capital funding within three years. It reportedly has over 20,000 members who pay $199 annually for basic access or an additional $199 per month for CGM integration. (Levels is not covered by insurance.) The recent availability of over-the-counter CGMs could democratize bio-monitoring, although questions persist regarding the appropriate user base beyond individuals with type 1 diabetes.
The emphasis on increased personal biomedical data is a recurring theme in the Meanses’ presentations. They argue that standard blood tests and annual physicals are insufficient. They advocate for Americans to gain comprehensive knowledge of their biomarkers to proactively identify potential health issues and avoid pharmaceutical interventions. They often cite Mark Hyman, a physician, author, and media personality who offers extensive lab tests for $500 through his company, Function Health. Once individuals understand their bloodwork, they can address imbalances through dietary and exercise modifications, they contend.
This is where Calley’s company, TrueMed, plays a role. Individuals with health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) can utilize TrueMed to report medical conditions and obtain a letter of medical necessity within two business days, enabling them to use their plans to purchase wellness products and gym memberships. TrueMed generates revenue by connecting patients with fitness brands like Barry’s Bootcamp and CrossFit, as well as suppliers of cold plunges, saunas, and supplements.
TrueMed was valued at over $40 million last year and had raised $20.5 million in VC funding as of January. Mark Hyman is a key angel investor in the company.
Ready for their closeup
As the Kennedy Room event concludes, enthusiastic supporters queue up to greet the Means siblings, eager to shake their hands or pose for selfies. The CEO of a “food is medicine” startup inquires about ways to contribute, and Calley jots down the man’s name in a pocket-sized notebook, promising to follow up.
As staff dismantle the seating and evening descends, Calley sits for interviews with reporters from two national news organizations. He is affable and engaging. He then rushes out into the drizzly night to catch a flight to his company’s retreat in Las Vegas. The following day, he reposts a tweet from a fellow panelist questioning the mainstream media’s lack of coverage of the event.
“Mind blowing silence of mainstream media attention,” Means comments.
Correction, Oct. 8, 2024: A previous version of this story included an inaccurate description of how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. learned of Calley Means, and when he appeared on the RFK podcast.
Jan. 16, 2025: This story was updated to clarify where user fees paid to the Food and Drug Administration come from. A variety of companies and groups, including pharmaceutical companies and accreditation organizations, pay user fees.
STAT’s coverage of chronic health issues is supported by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Our financial supporters are not involved in any decisions about our journalism.
