Calley Means, a prominent advocate for the Make America Healthy Again movement and senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., resigned from the Trump administration on Thursday.

Means submitted his resignation on Wednesday and announced the move in a post on X, expressing respect for President Trump and Kennedy while noting progress on chronic disease issues over the past two years. "This movement is in the first inning and just getting started," he wrote.

Sources familiar with the decision said Means grew frustrated over White House delays in advancing key MAHA initiatives, including a federal definition of ultraprocessed foods and updates to school meal standards aimed at reducing added sugars. Multiple reports indicated that industry concerns and bureaucratic resistance played a role in the holdups.

The departure comes less than two weeks before midterm elections, which some view as a test of the MAHA agenda's momentum. Means had previously served in a temporary White House role before transitioning to a permanent position at the Department of Health and Human Services focused on food and nutrition policy.

During his tenure, Means contributed to efforts on dietary guidelines reform, removal of soda from SNAP benefits, GRAS overhaul, and expanded access to psychedelics for certain treatments. His sister, Casey Means, had her nomination for surgeon general withdrawn earlier in the year.

Administration officials and MAHA supporters have pointed to achievements in shifting cultural conversations on chronic disease, though critics within the movement cite unfulfilled promises on pesticides and food additives as sources of disillusionment. Means stated he would continue advancing the agenda outside government.