The original report misinterprets some studies and cites others that appear to be AI-generated fabrications.
A flagship health report commissioned by the Trump administration and promoted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. contains numerous false and misrepresented scientific citations, a NOTUS investigation revealed. The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, touted as relying on “gold-standard” research, cites at least seven nonexistent studies and misstates findings from others.
Epidemiologist Katherine Keyes told NOTUS a study attributed to her on adolescent anxiety was fabricated: “The paper cited is not a real paper that I or my colleagues were involved with.” Two other cited studies on ADHD medication and antidepressants also do not exist, confirmed by journal records and one purported author’s university. Researchers like Harold J. Farber and Mariana G. Figueiro disputed how their work was characterized, with Figueiro noting her study was wrongly described as involving children, not college students.
The White House dismissed the errors as “formatting issues” and expressed “complete confidence” in Kennedy. After NOTUS’s report, HHS quietly replaced five fabricated citations. The 73-page document, intended to guide policy on chronic illnesses, has raised concerns about scientific integrity amid Trump administration cuts to research funding.