Donald Trump’s recent announcement of a sweeping executive order on prescription drug pricing ignites a fierce and fractured debate on the right. This exacerbates ongoing discussions about whether Casey Means is a good pick for Surgeon General.

While the MAHA movement (Make America Healthy Again) has strong grassroots momentum, it also creates internal tensions between populist reformers and institutional conservatives. Public discussion around these recent events is intense, polarized, and illustrative of how the new right is approaching certain issues like healthcare in ways that used to be reserved for populist Democrats.

BREAKING: President Donald Trump announces he will sign an Executive Order that will reduce Prescription Drug and Pharmaceutical prices. pic.twitter.com/gc83P0K9x1

— America (@america) May 11, 2025

What Americans are Saying

MIG Reports data shows sharp ideological divisions:

• Pro-MAHA voices say Trump’s moves are bold strikes against corrupt institutions, especially Big Pharma and the regulatory class.
• Critics, including many on the right, warn of medical populism, unvetted leadership, and performative politics.
• Discontent is growing among MAGA loyalists who are uneasy with MAHA’s rapid ascent and its perceived deviation from Trump’s original mandate.

MAHA Movement Discourse

MAHA is becoming a proxy for growing tensions among conservatives who find themselves under MAGA’s new, larger tent. Many say MAGA, known for challenging entrenched bureaucracies, should not let economic nationalism be replaced with medical populism.

Online discussions often use campaign-style slogans and frame Trump's drug price initiative as an anti-establishment health realignment. Still, a vocal contingent questions its coherence.

Critics say MAHA lacks operational maturity and relies too heavily on personality politics. Key factions are openly divided, with loyalists viewing MAHA as a necessary evolution and critics dismissing it as unserious or conspiratorial.

Trump’s Executive Order on Drug Pricing

Trump’s recent EO pegs U.S. pharmaceutical prices to those paid by foreign governments. Supporters say this is a long-overdue correction—including some on the left who have supported Democrats like Bernie Sanders. Many praise Trump for going after pharma profits directly, bypassing congressional inaction.

MAHA voices say the executive order is evidence that Trump is finally wielding federal power to protect working-class Americans from exploitative pricing schemes. Critics, however, see the order as symbolic and risky.

Some raise concerns about stifling R&D. Others point out the contradiction that costs may decrease in one area (pharmaceuticals) while rising elsewhere due to Trump’s high tariffs. Others say recent price claims are incoherent, citing one example of supposed 89% savings from tariffs, which actually resulted in a 30% cost increase.

RFK Jr. just exposed why everyone in DC is panicking about President Trump's executive order lowering drug prices.

"There's at least one pharmaceutical lobbyist for every congressman, every senator on Capitol Hill, and every member of the Supreme Court... The industry itself… pic.twitter.com/lywGOCSZ1z

— George (@BehizyTweets) May 12, 2025

The Casey Means Nomination

Nominating Casey Means as Surgeon General amplifies divisions. Supporters say she represents a necessary outsider perspective willing to take on entrenched interests. They say ties to RFK Jr. and the broader MAHA movement show ideological coherence and reformist intent.

Yet many conservatives are deeply skeptical. Questions over her qualifications, ties to alternative health circles, and lack of mainstream medical credentials dominate much of the backlash. Critics say her nomination risks politicizing public health further and undermining the credibility of Trump’s administration at a critical juncture.

These concerns extend to institutional sabotage. One major flashpoint is the disappearance of the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink, which many claim sabotages MAHA-aligned studies. Posts demand criminal accountability for former CDC leaders, accusing them of obstructing reform through data suppression.

Cultural and Political Underpinnings

MAHA’s rise reflects a shift in conservative identity. The policy disputes are laced with cultural symbolism, including memes, ridicule, and factional trolling. MAHA supporters accuse establishment conservatives of protecting pharma interests. Detractors dismiss MAHA activists as unserious or delusional.

Posts reveal a shared frustration with elite governance but no shared plan for replacing it. The conflict is growing into a power struggle between MAGA traditionalists and MAHA newcomers, with Trump caught in the middle—seeking to reassert control while keeping both factions engaged.

The selection of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff has been big news worldwide. For Americans, already divided by ideology, identity, and institutional distrust, the papacy has become yet another proxy battlefield.

For millions of Americans, religious discussions spill over into talk of power, nationalism, and whether faith will be used to restore order or reinforce globalist decline. Various voter group lines blur regarding issues like papal authority, which do not directly correlate with political divisions.

Seeing a lot of hot takes of people trying to figure out if the pope is conservative or not because he's pro-life but he's also pro-immigration and care for the poor.
Idk, guys. Call me crazy, but I think the pope might be Catholic.

— Dr. Laura Robinson (@LauraRbnsn) May 8, 2025

Political Fault Lines

The reaction among political conservatives is sharply split. About 50% support Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on tradition and moral clarity, while the other half distrust his public criticism of Trump-era policies.

Many MAGA voters see the pope’s humanitarian rhetoric—especially around immigration—as thinly veiled progressive messaging. For them, his social commentary on due process and border enforcement feels like a rebuke of the nationalist resurgence they support.

Among liberals, reactions are more unified—though in disapproval. 70-85% of liberal voters criticize the pope for failing to embrace modern progressive dogmas. To them, his message of mercy sounds hollow without support for identity politics, gender ideology, or radical wealth redistribution. The papacy, once a darling of social justice warriors under Francis, is now seen as compromised—too religious to be woke, too American to be trusted.

Independents and centrists express a more cynical mix of disengagement and frustration. For many, the pope is just the latest symbol of institutional figureheads they believe are co-opted by politics or ideology.

American Religious Reactions

Catholic voters are cautiously supportive. 60-65% approve of the new pope’s humanitarian tone and focus on compassion. However, about 35% voice skepticism, citing concerns over nationalism, resurfaced abuse cover-up allegations, and potential politicization of the Vatican.

Evangelicals are more decisive in their rejection. 70% disapprove of Pope Leo XIV’s messaging, with only 30% expressing any support. Many accuse him of diluting biblical authority or positioning himself between Christ and believers—which is their consistent critique of Catholicism in general.

Among non-Catholic Christians overall, the split is closer, with 55% in support and 45% disapproving, largely hinging on their views of how closely religious institutions should align with American sovereignty and moral clarity.

Cultural Symbolism and National Identity

Online, the pope has become a cultural meme as well as a religious leader. MAGA-aligned posters often sarcastically declare, “Tariffs are working! Even the Pope is made in America.” These messages reflect a deeper symbolic point about American identity rebounding in 2025. To some, this is a cause for celebration. To others, it represents cultural overreach and the blurring of church and state lines.

Vatican City after electing an American Pope pic.twitter.com/bb0jmkpt7K

— Dividend Hero (@HeroDividend) May 8, 2025

There’s also a practical narrative emerging that Trump’s “America First” movement is reshaping expectations of leadership—even in Rome. While Pope Leo XIV may not align with MAGA ideologically, many view the fact that he’s American as an indication that nationalist momentum has cultural staying power.

Corruption, Allegations, and Weaponized Faith

Reactions to past allegations against the pope, particularly from his time in Peru and Chicago, are sharply divided. The core accusation is that during he failed to hold abusive clergy accountable. Among Catholics, 55% disapprove of his elevation on these grounds, while 45% view the criticism as politically motivated.

For conservatives already skeptical of the Vatican’s institutional integrity, these allegations reinforce a broader narrative of elite corruption—where accountability never applies at the top, even in the Church.

Among liberal Christians, 80% disapprove of the pope’s record and tone, citing concerns over transparency, abuse cover-ups, and doctrinal rigidity. Here, the discontent is rooted in the idea that the Church, like the state, has failed to modernize or fully reckon with its past.

For both sides, “corruption” is the rallying word—applied broadly to both religious and political institutions. Americans are critical of institutional corruption wherever it exists, including in the church.

Border Politics and the Immigration Flashpoint

One of the most polarized aspects of public reaction concerns immigration. Roughly 85% of conservatives reject the pope’s stance on the U.S. border, especially his alleged critiques of Trump’s policies and his perceived endorsement of immigration leniency.

This backlash is political more than religious. For the American right, border sovereignty is non-negotiable. The pope’s language around mercy and due process is seen as enabling an already broken system.

In contrast, about 80% of liberals celebrate the pope’s approach to migrant care, viewing it as a counterbalance to inhumane border enforcement. Among Catholics and Christians overall, the split is close—around 45% approval and 50% disapproval—reflecting a broader tension between Christian compassion and the reality of national security.

Many interpret the pope’s immigration comments as political dog whistles which affirm open borders and undermine Trump’s hardline immigration policies. The pope’s position makes him a symbolic figure in the battle over American identity and the rule of law.

Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs policy may finally be blossoming into a more positively defining feature of his foreign policy and domestic brand. Two major events in the past week—the tense Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and a new US-UK trade deal—show shifting sentiment.

In recent weeks, there has been significant negativity around Trump’s trade tactics, with criticism for his rhetoric and the potential consequences for the U.S. economy. But with results, more voters are starting to see tariffs as a national strength.

Peter Mandelson, British Ambassador to the U.S. thanks @POTUS:

"You’ve done what you said you would do... that you would do a good trade deal with the U.K., that you would do it at pace, and that we would be first, and you have delivered that. You’ve been true to your word." pic.twitter.com/bB3NhQlG42

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 8, 2025

The Polarizing Power of Tariffs

Tariffs, a significant focus of the media and Americans worried about the economy, have been a controversial topic in recent months. Previous MIG Reports data showed growing concern, even among MAGA voters.

But now, they are becoming shorthand for a broader nationalist worldview—one that asserts American leverage and rejects multilateral handwringing. Trump’s willingness to impose high tariffs, even on allies, has split the electorate. But the U.K. deal is swinging the majority in a positive direction.

• 55% of recent commentary on the U.K. trade deal supports the aggressive approach.
• 30% opposes it, citing retaliatory risks or inflation.
• In Canada-related discussions, criticism spikes higher—around 66% disapproval—driven by the tone of the meeting and the optics of Trump’s “51st state” quip.

Public Sentiment Metrics and Takeaways

• Canada Trade Sentiment: 66% critical, 20% supportive, 14% neutral
• U.K. Trade Deal Sentiment: 55% supportive, 30% critical, 15% neutral
• Tariff Floor Support: High engagement from nationalist and pro-industry users
• Supportive Themes: Tariffs are forcing the West to recognize U.S. leverage again
• Critical Themes: Tariffs are inflationary and alienate strategic allies

PM Carney and the “51st State” Gambit

Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney generated dramatic reactions from critics and the media. Carney’s now-viral line, “Canada is not for sale,” was a direct response to Trump’s suggestion that Canada might someday join the United States.

The phrase became a lightning rod online, seen as both a diplomatic rebuke and a nationalist rallying cry, differing among Americans and Canadians. Roughly two-thirds of public reaction in the U.S. leaned critical, framing the event as unserious theater rather than a meaningful trade negotiation.

The meeting produced no tariff relief, no bilateral deal, and no reset in tone. Trump’s defenders say his posture reflects strength by refusing to budge on steel and auto tariffs. But critics, including many Canadians, interpret it as recklessness masquerading as diplomacy. The absence of deliverables fuel perceptions that Trump is leveraging trade not just for economics, but for narrative control.

U.K. and the Brexit Pivot

In contrast to Canadian talks, a new U.K. deal is giving Trump a high-profile win. Many tout the trade deal as a direct result of Brexit, “only possible because Britain took back control of its trade policy." Supporters agree. The deal plays well with Trump’s base because it capitalizes on Britain’s detachment from the EU, bypasses Brussels, and repositions the U.S. as a preferred trading partner.

'I was opening Turnberry the day you were voting… I said, I think they’re going to go their own separate way — and I think it’s better for them.'

Trump says Brexit was the right call, and the new US-UK trade deal proves it. pic.twitter.com/h0G4ePLYgI

— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 8, 2025

Trump has made clear that a 10% tariff floor is just the starting point. Critics argue this lopsided arrangement—where the U.S. increases tariffs while the UK cuts theirs—could hurt British industry. Yet among Trump’s supporters, that’s the point. Many see this as justified after decades of trade policy that favored European recovery at American expense. Some reference the post-WWII arrangements where the U.S. subsidized rebuilding Europe, saying now is the time to “rebalance.”

Sentiment around the Europe deal is mixed but leaning supportive as 55% of online discussions back Trump’s posture. About 30% warn the deal could fracture existing trade alliances or push Europe closer to Asia, where new deals are already accelerating.

Tariffs as Political Branding

Tangible wins like the deal with Great Britain help Trump demonstrate the positive impact of tariffs. Where earlier presidents treated them as economic levers, Trump uses them to signal defiance against adversaries like China and, in some eyes, the Fed. His ongoing feud with Jerome Powell, whom he labeled a “fool,” reinforces the image of Trump as an unfiltered nationalist willing to disregard elite consensus.

The potential of rising prices and inflation warnings seem easier to stomach when positive outcomes outweigh the perception of “national sacrifice.” The U.S.-U.K. deal functions as narrative proof that tariffs can generate movement. When combined with populist rhetoric, Trump’s trade policy becomes positive as supporters see realignment.