MAGA, Measles and the Wellness Hustle

How Trump's latest appointments signal the conspirituality takeover

“The key to understanding why so many Germans supported Hitler lies in the Nazi rejection of a rational, factual world.” — Benjamin Carter Hett

“The future of medicine will be about light. I don’t exactly know how yet.”
— Casey Means, newly appointed Surgeon General of the United States

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Donald Trump made two announcements last week that speak to MAGA's ongoing war to kick down the guardrails of objectivity and independent fact-checking.

The first was his appointment of Casey Means, a medical drop-out, as Surgeon General. The second was about his decision to cut funding to the two public broadcasting networks — National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS.

Let’s begin with Means.

Casey Means, newly appointed Surgeon General of the United States

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If you don't live in the "red pill" Matrix/Maga world, the appointment of Means might seem like the latest in the seemingly bizarre presidential decisions. In picking Means as America's "Top Doctor," Trump bragged:

"Her academic achievements… are absolutely outstanding."

However, the fact is that although Means completed med school, she dropped out of residency to become a "wellness" influencer. She has continued to use her MD title to promote her books and medical products even though her Oregon license has been inactive for years.

She’s claims that the universe “speaks” to her and that people can make their wishes come true by writing them down. In an October 2024 newsletter, she mused:

"Perhaps the body is simply the material 'radio receiver' through which we can 'tune in' to the divine. We will get instructions (through human inspiration and reason) for what we need to do to raise the vibration of humanity and create a sustainable future… The future of medicine will be about light. I don’t exactly know how yet.”

You might think that her appointment is just another example of Trump's Joker politics that revel in punking key federal institutions.

But not this time.

The appointment of Casey Means is a perfect indicator of the far-right ideological takeover of key United States institutions.

And believe it or not, nothing says far-right like healthy-living influencers.

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The Conspirituality Pipeline

During COVID, most of us had that cousin, friend, or co-worker who began sending an endless stream of YouTube links — at all hours of the day and night — about what they were discovering about natural products that build COVID immunity.

Then, the algorithms began feeding them conspiracy videos about the threat posed by 5G towers. And then it went further with increasingly strange posts about the "jab," microchips in blood and state planning.

There was no point in arguing. It just sucked you deeper into the rabbit hole.

"I showed you my science," they would challenge, "Now you show me yours."

At this point, the fear of the jab was replaced by fear of the Deep State, global "Cabals," and ugly accusations that Prime Minister Trudeau and Hillary Clinton were engaged in ritual satanic abuse of children.

The podcast and book Conspirituality go a long way in explaining how these rabbit holes were formed. The authors look at the outsized role of new age and yoga health influencers in the rise of extremist politics.

Beres, Remski and Walker do a deep dive into the natural health industry with its heavy brand of libertarian hucksterism that feeds off suspicion of established science, medicine and journalism. When COVID hit, this seemingly harmless subculture became the perfect online petri dish for morphing wellness grifters with radical right conspiracy.

This is not to suggest, in any way, that if you practice yoga, take supplements or engage in healthy living, you’re on the road to QAnon. But it is important to look at how well-meaning health movements have become vectors for both conspiracy and radicalization.

Alex Jones, the king of extremist media, made a killing with a side hustle of promoting natural health supplements.

Jacob Chansley, the QAnon "shaman," who broke into the capital building on January 6th decked out in face paint and bullhorns was defended at his trial by his lawyer, who pointed out that Mr. Chansley "routinely practices meditation, is an active practitioner of yoga and eats only organic food."

Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson, the top Alpha Dogs of MAGAverse, regularly infuse their political conspiracy with attacks on medical science. As part of this, they have given space to all manner of cranks and natural health "dissidents."

And this is how they discovered and then heavily promoted Casey Means.

Some of her views — like concerns about the dangers of micro-plastics and over-processed foods — seem reasonable and common sense, but it is her conspiracy obsessions that drew the interest of Rogan and Carlson.

While on the Rogan broadcast, she repeated the false connection between childhood vaccines and autism.

Thanks to Rogan and Carlson, Means received an all-access pass into Trumpland.

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Fascist Science

So what's with this connection between natural health and MAGA fascism?

The Conspirituality authors Beres, Remski and Walker write that it has a long history:

“Finding out that right-wing, antisemitic conspiracy theories like QAnon gained a foothold in yoga and wellness communities… is disorienting. Why would crunchy-granola, dreadlocked and tatted, raw chocolate-eating, essential oil-diffusing hippies get anywhere close to the hateful cult of Trump, let alone find common cause with it?”

Well, right-wing politics have always been more deeply connected to back-to-the-earth notions of natural living, bodily purity, spiritual heroism and intuitive prophecy than is commonly acknowledged.

There have always been links in the fascist/authoritarian world with bogus science and false mysticism.

Joseph Stalin promoted the fake genetic science of Trofin Lysenko, whose crackpot agriculture theories led to famines and mass death. Scientists who spoke out against Lysenko were jailed or executed.

The Nazis promoted the falsehoods of "Aryan" science versus "Jewish" science. Their obsession with the elevation of body purity and pagan naturalism would fit right into the QAnon Conspirituality world.

In the United States, the kingpin of health disinformation is Robert F. Kennedy Jr, now Secretary of Public Health. The Centre for Countering Digital Hate lists him as being one of the world's leading disseminators of medical disinformation.

I wrote previously about the outsized role Kennedy has played in spreading vaccine disinformation.

In 2019, Kennedy visited Samoa to push resistance to the MMR vaccine, which protects children against measles, mumps, and rubella. A resulting rise of anti-vaccine fear led to an epidemic that made 5700 people sick and killed 83 children.

Kennedy's own family warn that he is a public predator.

But Trump's appointment of him as Secretary of Public Health was a nod to the MAGA conspirituality crowd.

Kennedy is taking over as North America is being hit with an unprecedented measles outbreak — an epidemic tied directly to vaccine disinformation. The Surgeon General could play a key role in balancing out American public health at this time. But Kennedy has been adamant that he wants Means at his side.

The reasons are obvious.

Means has stated her desire to go after what she calls "extreme" vaccination schedules for young children. She claims vaccinations are causing "health declines in young children."

Imagine the effect of having the Surgeon General of the United States impose health warnings on vaccine programs. The catastrophic impacts will be felt around the world.

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This leads us to Trump's second announcement: that he’s cutting funding for news and childhood education programs at PBS and NPR.

Again, the reason is obvious.

MAGA flourishes in a world of online hustlers and disinformation. The attack on "experts" and professionals is a longstanding tactic of fascist politics. Cutting out independent media and fact-based journalism undermines access to verifiable sources of news and research.

MAGA grew from the fetid online world of influencers, podcasters, and conspiracy haters. It is an ecosystem that shrinks from expertise, verifiable facts, and peer-reviewed evidence as if it were kryptonite.

In Canada, Maple MAGA leader Pierre Poilievre promised to gut the CBC as his top priority if elected. In the United States, Trump has actually followed through.

Without independent media and empowered public institutions, Trump's power would dissipate. There are reasons why the political chaos master wants the medical chaos master Kennedy in a key position.

And now Kennedy has succeeded in elevating a key ally.

Grifter fascism has arrived in the form of a full-on assault of the rule of law and the international diplomatic order. But it is also going after 100 years of public health progress.

We are entering into a dangerous new phase where magical thinking, conspiracies, and pseudo-spiritual influencers are gaining significant access to positions of real power.

It ain't going to end well.

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