MAHA Report Debacle: How Fabricated Science and Ghost Citations Undermine Federal Health Policy

The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, released under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has ignited a firestorm of criticism from scientists, journalists, and public health experts. 

What was intended as a landmark federal assessment of chronic disease in American children has instead become a case study in how not to conduct and present scientific research.

**A Pattern of Misinformation**

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is already notorious for promoting conspiracy theories and misinformation, particularly regarding vaccines. 

The MAHA report, commissioned by the Trump administration and released without clear authorship, follows this troubling pattern. 

Despite claims of “radical transparency” and “gold-standard” science, the report’s credibility crumbled almost immediately upon review.

**Fabricated Citations and Nonexistent Studies**

Independent researchers and journalists quickly noticed that the MAHA report was riddled with citation errors.

At least seven of the 522 cited studies could not be located in any scientific literature or online database. 

In several instances, researchers whose names appeared in the report confirmed that they had not authored the papers attributed to them. 

For example, epidemiologist Katherine Keyes was falsely listed as the lead author of a study on adolescent anxiety—a study she had never written.

Other citations referenced studies that do not exist, and some URLs included markers associated with generative AI systems, raising suspicions that portions of the report were generated or heavily edited by artificial intelligence.

This is a known risk with AI: it can “hallucinate” plausible-sounding references and authors that are entirely fictional.

**Misrepresentation of Existing Research**

Beyond the fabricated citations, the report misrepresented the findings of legitimate studies. 

For instance, research on melatonin suppression in college students was inaccurately cited as evidence about children’s sleep patterns. 

The original authors of these studies have publicly clarified that their work was misused to support claims it did not actually make.

**White House Response and Ongoing Controversy**

The White House initially dismissed the errors as “formatting issues,” but this explanation failed to address the core problem:  the report’s scientific foundation is fundamentally flawed. 

Several problematic citations have since been removed or replaced, but the damage to the report’s credibility is already done.

The administration’s insistence that the substance of the report remains valid rings hollow. 

The process by which the report was created—rushed, opaque, and lacking rigorous peer review—has only amplified concerns.

The White House has not disclosed the identities of the report’s authors, further undermining transparency.

**Broader Implications for Science and Policy**

The MAHA report’s failings are not just a bureaucratic embarrassment—they pose a real threat to public trust in science and federal health policy. 

When government officials rely on fabricated or misrepresented research, they risk making decisions based on false premises. 

This is particularly dangerous when the stakes are as high as children’s health.

The MAHA report is a cautionary tale. It demonstrates how the combination of misinformation, lack of transparency, and reliance on questionable methods can destroy the credibility of even the most high-profile government initiatives. 

For Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it is yet another example of why his leadership is viewed with deep skepticism by the scientific community. 

For the public, it is a reminder of the importance of demanding rigorous, transparent, and evidence-based policymaking.