The Aspen Institute 70d ago

Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, the Make America Healthy Again movement has championed sweeping health reforms: slashing vaccine requirements, removing artificial dyes from the food we eat, and more. Though not overtly religious, the movement has strongly appealed to those looking for stronger protections for their religious beliefs, particularly around medicine. It’s also made direct appeals to the faithful, claiming "God is an anti-Vaxxer" at conferences, rallies, and more. Michael Balboni, a Harvard Medical School lecturer and Christian pastor, and Rachael Bedard, a palliative care physician, discuss the origins and implications of today’s populist, naturalist, sometimes religiously infused pushback against established medical practices. This talk is part of the Religion & Society Program's Faith Angle Forum series, which equips mainstream journalists with resources to strengthen reporting and commentary on how religious communities and convictions shape politics and public life. This session was filmed March 17, 2026, in Miami, FL. Read more about Faith Angle at our website: https://faithangle.org/