Conspirituality Podcast

Bonus Sample: MAHA’s Silence is Deafening
Host: Derek Beres
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this bonus episode, Derek Beres examines the MAHA movement’s evasion of critical issues while expanding its political influence. The focus is on Tony Lyons, a central MAHA leader who has been orchestrating MAHA’s alignment with Republican politics, particularly in support of the Trump administration and a potential 2028 Kennedy run. Beres highlights how MAHA, under Lyons’ direction, is mobilizing vast resources not as a health movement but as a propaganda engine, sidestepping the scandals embroiling MAGA and its figures while amplifying their own political and culture war objectives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scope and Power of MAHA

[00:03] Tony Lyons (Quote):

• Outlines the vast resources and activities MAHA commands, from its Substack newsletter (154,000+ subscribers), annual summits with high-profile speakers, legislative trackers, media output (films, books), and a claimed mailing list of two million “warriors.”
• Emphasizes MAHA’s influence network: “...hundreds of thousands of influencers who we have, and there are hundreds of millions of followers, you know, we're going to harness every bit of that...”
• Expresses an explicit goal: mobilize all this power “to support and be a powerful resource for the Trump administration going into the midterms.”

2. Political Alignment and Strategy

[01:40] Derek Beres Commentary:

• Beres exposes Tony Lyons as not just a figurehead but the “central leader” architecting MAHA’s transition into a deliberate political machine for Republican and Trumpist objectives.
• References to RFK Jr. being more visible in publicity stunts (e.g., “shooting horrible workout videos with Kid Rock and doing raw milk shots in the White House”) while Lyons builds the true political infrastructure.
• Suggests that Lyons’ memo provides “the blueprint for a potential 2028 run by Kennedy” and is focused on converting Republicans and leveraging MAHA to maximize turnout.

3. Silence on Controversial and Criminal Issues

• Beres is sharply critical of MAHA’s silence on ICE violence: “A few weeks ago, I mentioned how silent Maha has been about ICE murdering American citizens in the street, even though everyone involved in Maha voted for this administration and needs to own what they're doing.”
• Raises the recent release of the Epstein files, noting that many MAGA politicians—and Trump himself—are implicated, yet “zero mention of these files from the Maha wing.”
• Points out the hypocrisy of MAHA ignoring these abuses while using culture war tactics and recruiting figures like Mike Tyson (himself a convicted rapist) instead of addressing real harm.

4. Persuasion Over Policy

• Cites Lyons’ strategy memo: “We need to convince every Republican to buy into the Maha movement just like Trump has.”
• Describes the “Maha Winnable Middle” as a target for voter turnout, and details tactics like increasing vaccine skepticism—focusing on persuasion as the primary tool rather than any specific policy substance.
• Beres’ summation: “It's really a lesson in persuasion more than policy.”

5. Cultic Dynamics and Propaganda

• MAHA is characterized as “an activist propaganda organization enabling every facet of the Trump administration right now, including ICE, terrorizing and murdering American citizens, and including the fact that no politicians or administration officials are seeing repercussions for their involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.”
• Harsh assessment of MAHA’s role: “Instead of tackling the horrors of Epstein's network, Maha chose Mike Tyson, who spent three years in prison for rape, as the latest face of their movement.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tony Lyons, on MAHA’s power ([00:10]):
  “We have the MAHA report on Substack that now has more than 154,000 subscribers ... we have a mailing list of 2 million Maha warriors. So let's all work together and galvanize our power...”

• Derek Beres, on leadership and infrastructure ([01:40]):
  “While RFK Jr is out shooting horrible workout videos with Kid Rock ... Lyons has been building political infrastructure to support everything Maha and ... everything Republican as we head toward the midterm elections.”

• Derek Beres, on selective outrage ([02:30]):
  “Now we have the release of the Epstein files with many MAGA politicians and bureaucrats, as well as Trump himself being seriously entwined with the child rapist. And there’s been zero mention of these files from the Maha wing.”

• Derek Beres, on persuasion tactics ([04:05]):
  “Lyons memo makes the case that the Maha Winnable Middle can drive Republican turnout in the midterms, and he gives very clear instructions about how to make people wary of vaccines, for example. It's really a lesson in persuasion more than policy...”

• Derek Beres, on MAHA’s true nature ([04:30]):
  “Maha in reality, is an activist propaganda organization enabling every facet of the Trump administration right now.”

Important Timestamps

• 00:03 — Tony Lyons’ promo on MAHA’s expansive influence/power
• 01:40 — Derek Beres critiques MAHA’s silence and reveals the strategy memo
• 02:30 — Commentary on MAHA’s silence around ICE violence and Epstein revelations
• 04:05 — Analysis of the Lyons memo’s strategy to sway the “winnable middle”
• 04:30 — Characterization of MAHA as a propaganda force rather than a health or wellness movement

Summary Takeaways

• MAHA: No longer just a wellness or New Age movement; now, it operates as a full-scale political machine with mass mobilization capacity, explicitly working for Republican and Trumpist aims.
• Tony Lyons: The driving force behind this shift, seeking to merge influencer power and culture war tactics.
• Silence and Complicity: The episode spotlights MAHA's refusal to address real abuses (ICE, Epstein) while aggressively pursuing political power and messaging discipline.
• Persuasion Focus: Shift away from real health or policy, toward techniques to sway skeptical (mainly Republican) audiences and suppress dissent.

Listeners are encouraged to consider the gap between MAHA’s public-facing wellness rhetoric and its actual function as described here—an extension of MAGA propaganda and culture war politics, silent on abuse and criminal complicity, yet loud on stoking division and mobilizing power.