Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. adviser Calley Means alleged on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast Friday that a “very concentrated group of people” inside the Trump White House was “doing things for other reasons, particularly in many cases to enrich their families.”
“There is a very concentrated group of people in the Trump administration that are antagonistic to what people voted for,” Means said, claiming the group prioritized special interests over policy. He added, “The way this White House is set up, it has the most centralized control, up to the chief of staff’s office, of any administration in American history.”
Who he named
Means singled out chief of staff Susie Wiles as “the most powerful chief of staff in modern American history,” asserting that “there are entire cabinet meetings about how to get on the good side with her.” He also named pollster Tony Fabrizio and political operatives James Blair and Chris LaCivita as among “the most powerful people in the country.”
According to Means, Fabrizio simultaneously consulted for private-sector clients, including PepsiCo, while providing political guidance to the administration. “As we were fighting things like school lunch reform and getting an ultraprocessed food definition … he is getting paid by Pepsi and giving political analysis that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze on doing policies like that,” Means said. He further claimed LaCivita “was getting paid by special interests while shaping the Trump agenda.”
Policy vs. fundraising, per Means
Means said that in the first Trump administration the policy shop operated separately from political fundraising, but in the second they were “indistinguishable.” “Day one, we made the midterm strategy the policy strategy,” he said, alleging that certain initiatives were blocked because “that would hurt special interest configurations for the midterms.”
Wiles’ role and reported exit
The article stated the interview was published within hours of news that Wiles had resigned as chief of staff and that immigration adviser Stephen Miller would replace her, “following a rout by Democrats in the midterm election.”
White House and Kennedy positions
White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster praised the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) coalition and said, “After years of being on the political sidelines, the MAHA coalition has found a champion in President Trump, who has made incredible strides to Make America Healthy Again.” She cited “overhauling the dietary guidelines for Americans, axing artificial ingredients in our food supply, and investing in regenerative farming.”
Kennedy did not directly address Means’ interview, but wrote on X that he “stands firmly behind President Trump and the historic reforms we are advancing together,” while highlighting nutrition-policy changes.
Lobbying ties and revenue claim
Means said Wiles had “worked closely with lobbies” before joining the administration and alleged she “spent her career” consulting for clients including “the pharmaceutical industry” and “the pesticide industry.” He also cited Ballard Partners, described as Wiles’ former lobbying firm, claiming its revenue rose from $19.3 million in 2024 to $98 million in 2026, attributing the figures to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Rogan’s view and outreach to named figures
Rogan, whose interview with Trump days before the election drew 63 million views according to the article, said the MAHA alliance was “one of the main things I was excited about with Trump getting into office.”
Means did not respond to a request for comment, the article said. Wiles could not be reached. Requests for comment to Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and MAGA Inc. PAC did not receive an immediate reply. Kennedy did not respond directly to the interview, per the article.
