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| ✓ Verified - washingtontimes.com
Trump's directive to increase glyphosate production faces MAHA backlash
#Trump#Glyphosate#Defense Production Act#MAHA#Monsanto#National Security#Executive Order#Cancer Risk
📌 Key Takeaways
Trump invoked Defense Production Act to increase glyphosate production
MAHA advocates furious over executive order opposing chemical they've fought against
Kennedy's past anti-glyphosate stance conflicts with support for Trump's directive
Administration frames chemical as essential for national security and food supply
Over 60,000 lawsuits allege glyphosate causes cancer, though FDA hasn't established direct link
📖 Full Retelling
President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to spur the domestic production of phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides by invoking the Defense Production Act, infuriating Make America Healthy Again advocates who oppose the chemical's use. The directive declares glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer-Monsanto's Roundup, as critical to national security, framing increased domestic production as essential for maintaining agricultural productivity and food supply security. This controversial move has created significant tension within the administration, particularly with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA supporters who have long opposed glyphosate use. The executive order grants Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins authority to compel production of both chemicals, citing vulnerability to hostile foreign actors who might control these critical inputs. Trump's action comes amid ongoing scientific debate about glyphosate's safety, with over 60,000 lawsuits alleging the weedkiller causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, though the Food and Drug Administration has not established a direct cancer link. Kennedy's previous statements against glyphosate, including a now-viral claim that 'I believe that glyphosate causes cancer,' are being questioned following his support for the president's order, with environmental groups suggesting his position amounts to abandoning his principles for political expediency.
🏷️ Themes
National Security, Public Health, Agricultural Policy, Political Conflict
Glyphosate (IUPAC name: N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP). Glyphosate-based herbicides (GB...
The Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 (Pub. L. 81–774) is a United States federal law enacted on September 8, 1950, in response to the start of the Korean War. It was part of a broad civil defense and war mobilization effort in the context of the Cold War.
The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best-known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in the 1970s. Later, the company became a major producer of ge...
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
Born into a wealthy New York City family, Trump graduated from the...
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