MAHA Moms polling shows GOP voters don’t trust Casey DeSantis’ sudden food safety mission

A Florida “Make America Healthy Again” coalition says the movement doesn’t want First Lady Casey DeSantis co-opting the message. And they have polling to prove it.

MAHA Moms of Florida released polling showing the public considers DeSantis’ recent foray into health messaging disingenuous.

“At first glance, her newfound passion for getting toxins out of the food supply through her Florida First Initiative could be seen as a sign that our push for a healthier state just got another key ally,” a memo from the group reads.

“However, the distrust voters have for the First Lady on the issue, as well as the slapdash studies she is publicizing to try to repair her image with voters, could cause a major setback for the MAHA movement here in the Sunshine State.”

Polling results released found 34% of GOP Primary voters “do not believe the First Lady’s claims at all when she discusses food safety,” while 42% feel her sudden embrace serves “primarily a strategic distraction effort tied to her prior Hope Florida’s controversy rather than a substantive policy commitment.” Just 34% express comfort with DeSantis “making food decisions on their behalf.”

The poll included responses from 600 likely Primary voters.

The memo noted recent controversy surrounding Hope Florida, a program championed by Florida’s First Lady. The foundation faced allegations it acted as a conduit converting a Medicare settlement into political contributions to an anti-pot campaign. A Justice Department investigation concluded with no criminal charges, though a state grand jury probe has not yet announced any findings.

The polling showed the MAHA movement also believes it has a leader: President Donald Trump. About 67% see the President as the better “caretaker” of the MAHA agenda, while just 9% feel the same about DeSantis. Meanwhile, 58% believe DeSantis should “stop attempting to undermine President Trump” regarding the agenda.

As for reasons the group distrusts DeSantis, the polling shows voters believe she speaks with weak scientific grounding. About 85% of those polled feel the First Lady “should cite specific scientific studies when making health or food safety claims,” and 82% “believe families deserve to see proof before being warned that the food they purchase could be harmful.” About 72% say they trust data more “when it is verified by multiple experts rather than when it is presented by a single political figure.”

Ultimately, 63% say DeSantis’ politically expedient concerns about the MAHA agenda made them less likely to support her as a candidate for Governor “if she continues to push these food safety claims without verifiable evidence.”

MAHA Moms for Florida formed to hold politicians accountable who did not support the MAHA agenda in 2024, when Gov. Ron DeSantis was challenging Trump for the GOP nomination, but want to “accrue political clout now on the backs of President Trump and moms like us.”