The Art of the Deal – Donald Trump, RFK Jr and Pfizer

Former President Donald Trump, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced a deal with pharmaceutical company Pfizer on September 30, 2025, to lower some drug costs.

The agreement, which includes the launch of a new government website called TrumpRx.gov, disappointed some of Trump’s MAGA supporters due to the long-standing animosity towards Pfizer and general distrust of “Big Pharma” among some in the movement.

Key aspects of the deal:

• Tariff avoidance: The deal gives Pfizer a three-year grace period from proposed 100% tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals. Pfizer, in return, pledged to invest $70 billion in U.S.-based research, development, and manufacturing.
• TrumpRx.gov: The administration is launching a government-run website in early 2026 where Americans can buy certain Pfizer drugs at a discount, paying cash. Discounts will range from 50% to 85%, depending on the medication.
• Medicaid pricing: Pfizer will provide its drugs to the federal and state Medicaid programs at a reduced, “most-favored-nation” price, aligning U.S. prices with those in other developed countries.
• RFK Jr. involvement: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. helped negotiate the deal and praised the agreement as a step toward making America healthier.

Reasons for MAGA discontent
The deal was met with criticism from some corners of the MAGA base and Health Secretary Kennedy’s supporters, for several reasons:

• Perceived conflict with “Big Pharma”: Many in the MAGA and anti-vaccine movements have a deep-seated distrust of major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer. The partnership with a company they often criticize as part of the “deep state” pharmaceutical-industrial complex, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is seen as a betrayal of their values.
• Kennedy’s anti-pharma stance: Kennedy’s presence as Health Secretary was expected by many supporters to lead to a crackdown on major pharmaceutical corporations. His role in negotiating a deal that financially benefits Pfizer, rather than aggressively punishing it, has been seen as a compromise that goes against the anti-“Big Pharma” ethos.
• Ignoring the anti-vaccine agenda: Some of Kennedy’s supporters felt the deal did not go far enough in addressing their concerns about vaccines. The focus on drug pricing rather than Kennedy’s more controversial anti-vaccine views has left some feeling that their core issues are being sidelined.
• Trump’s shift on Pfizer: Trump has historically had a complex and at times critical relationship with Pfizer. After losing the 2020 election, he accused the company of hiding its vaccine results until after the vote. The new deal and his positive remarks toward Pfizer’s CEO, Albert Bourla, represent a shift that some of his supporters found difficult to reconcile.

One MAHA supporter said it was “the most tremendous hoodwink in American history. Huge!”