WASHINGTON — One would not expect such an exuberant affair — laughter, groans of recognition, and standing ovations — for a discussion about chronic disease.
But here in the chandeliered Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, it’s standing-room only for a roundtable featuring favorites of the political right, including psychologist Jordan Peterson, surgeon Marty Makary, and two new faces: the siblings Calley and Casey Means. The pair have gone from relative unknowns to emergent conservative rabble-rousers — now buzzing in the same orbit as Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and even former President Donald Trump.
They, along with Kennedy, are striving to build a new, “Make America Healthy Again” identity for the GOP ahead of the election. Trump sees fixing the American chronic disease epidemic as a “legacy item,” Calley Means said in an exclusive interview with STAT. That appears to be true, at least for now, and has suddenly thrust the Meanses into the mainstream. This week, they’ll appear on two of the largest stages in the world: Rogan’s podcast, and a virtual town hall hosted by Trump himself.
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