Dem
47
GOP
53
The MAHA movement hasn't been tested yet. It will get its first test in 3 weeks, on May 16, in Louisiana. That is when MAHA Action, which has endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), will get its chance to defeat its nemesis, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who had the temerity to question whether vaccine-denier Robert Kennedy Jr. was the right guy to set national vaccine policy. Cassidy, a physician, knew the answer very well, but he ended up violating the part of the Hippocratic Oath that says: "First do no harm." By voting for Kennedy to be confirmed, he has done great harm to the country. Despite Cassidy voting to confirm Kennedy, MAHA is targeting him because he had doubts and to them, that is unacceptable. Only cultist-like obedience is acceptable.
Donald Trump has also endorsed Letlow. Nevertheless, this is not a slam dunk for MAHA. For one thing, Letlow has previously supported vaccination, so she is not a perfect vessel for this battle. For another, MAHA hasn't actually pumped much money into Letlow's campaign nor aided her on the ground. It hasn't even made vaccination a top issue in the campaign. Nor is MAHA a presence in Louisiana. John Couvillon, a Louisiana pollster, said: "I've honestly not heard the word 'MAHA' mentioned other than in the context of the PAC donating to Letlow's campaign. It's really not an issue."
What the race really seems to be about is which of the three candidates, Cassidy, Letlow, and John Fleming, is the Trumpiest. And Trump has no interest in MAHA or vaccines at all. He endorsed Letlow to punish Cassidy for voting to convict him after his second impeachment. The most recent poll has Letlow at 31%, Fleming at 25%, and Cassidy at 21%. That means that every combination of them is possible in the June runoff. (V)