Podcast Summary: The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Episode: The Medical Freedom War Is Here. Del Bigtree EXPOSES the Pharma Machine
Date: January 20, 2026
Host: Dr. Josh Axe
Guest: Del Bigtree, Host of The HighWire

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Josh Axe interviews Del Bigtree, a leading voice in the medical freedom movement, renowned for his documentaries and investigative journalism into vaccines, the pharmaceutical industry, and government health policies. The conversation explores the influence of Big Pharma, the censorship of alternative health, insights into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s rise at HHS, and the urgent need for medical freedom. With a focus on uncovering institutional failures and promoting informed consent, Bigtree shares both personal stories and hard-hitting findings, providing listeners with both context and calls to action.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Medical Freedom Matters

• Del Bigtree begins by stressing that personal choice in health, especially regarding vaccination, is essential to freedom and autonomy.
• Quote:

  "We can never get to a place where we can be forcibly injected by our government or we are no longer free. We have the same rights as farm animals... Every American, no matter what you believe about the vaccine program, should believe that you should always have a choice." (03:30)

2. Del’s Motivations and Upbringing

• Raised by "very conscious parents" who taught him to question authority and stay true to his intuition and spiritual connection (05:21).
• Early skepticism and curiosity led Bigtree to pursue deeper investigative work on “The Doctors” TV show, often clashing with legal teams due to relentless questioning of the medical status quo.

3. Power of the Pharmaceutical Industry

• Pharmaceuticals are positioned as the most powerful industry in America—outspending oil and gas on lobbying, dominating TV advertising, and maintaining a revolving door with regulatory agencies (11:17–16:03).
• Industry influence also extends to academia, dictating research through grants and funding, with Dr. Tony Fauci cited as controlling global medical research funding (16:03).

4. Systemic Issues in Medical Education and Regulation

• Highlighted lack of vaccine safety education for doctors:

  "A doctor or a nurse is lucky if they get half a day of education on vaccines." (WHO meeting cited, 17:00)

• Many doctors memorize facts but lack deeper understanding beyond the surface (19:19–19:29).

5. Censorship and Media Control

• In 2018, Google altered algorithms to suppress natural health sites, massively decreasing traffic to sources like draxe.com and Dr. Mercola (22:05–23:13).
• Traditional media incentivizes "pharma-friendly" content due to the high ratio of pharmaceutical advertising (12:38–16:03; 63:34–64:16).

6. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Rise & the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Movement

• Bigtree played a key role as Director of Communications during RFK Jr.’s presidential run and subsequent appointment as HHS Secretary.
• Kennedy’s spiritual grounding and steadfastness, even in the face of relentless attacks, highlighted:

  “He’s not just saying that on a camera. He’s like that 24-7... [He said,] ‘Once you discover there’s a people that are being hurt or oppressed... that’s who you work for.’” (28:51)

7. Documentaries & Investigative Work

• Bigtree’s “VAXXED” and “VAXXED II” described as movement-inspiring, gathering stories from families across the country.
• New Project: "An Inconvenience Study" — Features a never-before-conducted comparison of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children; found vaccinated children had 2.5x higher risk of chronic disease, 6x higher neurodevelopmental/autoimmune diagnoses; led by pro-vaccine scientists, who ultimately refused to publish (34:45–38:30).
  • Study is center of the new documentary, available free at an inconveniencestudy.com.

8. Medical and Religious Freedom Risks

• COVID-19 response demonstrated fragility of medical freedom—forced vaccination, lockdowns, mandates.
• In some states, even religious exemptions for vaccines are unavailable.
• The Nuremberg Code and informed consent are critical protections under threat (41:20–44:42).

9. The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Health Care

• Western allopathic medicine described as effective for emergency ("military") care but failing for chronic health and wellness, which calls for a focus on nutrition and holistic approaches.

  “We just simply weren’t [born drug deficient].... We have a system that is taking control of all health that never actually studies health.” (03:30, repeated at 57:02)

• Push for doctors to receive nutrition training and for new systems of holistic, community health outside of pharma-dominated licensing and insurance (57:14–59:22; 64:16–67:08).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Media Influence:

  “If you work in TV... you are making content for that box that’s on every wall... That square is a billboard in your house. All we are doing is trying to keep your attention on the billboard so they can sell you stuff." — Del Bigtree (12:38)

• On Vaccine Safety Studies:

  "Why have none of them ever been able to do a study comparing the vaccinated to the unvaccinated and show us that the vaccinated are actually healthier? ...It’s never been done. They’re not safety testing these products. And that should bother people.”—Del Bigtree (03:25, 70:12)

• About Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:
  “He’s the real deal... Why don’t you just walk away?... [He said,] ‘Because children are being destroyed and children are dying. And my father raised me... once you discover there’s a people that are being hurt or oppressed... that’s who you work for. I’m not designed to walk away.’” — Del Bigtree (28:51)

• On Personal and Political Action:
  “The only freedoms you keep are the ones you fight for.” — Del Bigtree (39:33)

• On Building a New Health System:

  “We need to build a healthcare system... where you can learn about all the modalities that aren’t going to give you a drug and find what’s right for you. A place where you get into fitness and nutrition... We need to start building communities of health.” — Del Bigtree (64:16–67:08)

Important Timestamps

• [03:25] — Medical freedom, forced vaccination, and lack of safety studies
• [05:21] — Del's upbringing and beginnings as a skeptic
• [11:17] — The pharmaceutical industry’s dominance
• [16:03] — Tony Fauci’s control of research funding
• [17:00] — Doctors' limited education on vaccines (WHO meeting)
• [22:05] — Censorship of natural health on Google in 2018
• [28:51] — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s motivation and moral code
• [34:45–38:30] — “An Inconvenience Study” documentary and findings
• [39:33] — Medical freedom and legal/religious challenges
• [41:42] — Nuremberg Code and informed consent
• [57:14] — Limitations of allopathic medicine and the importance of holistic health
• [64:16] — Lack of mainstream accountability for COVID response
• [67:48] — Chiropractors and natural health practitioners as outspoken voices

Action Items & Calls to Action

• Watch "An Inconvenience Study" documentary: aninconveniencestudy.com
• Explore The HighWire: thehighwire.com — weekly deep dives into health topics, industry news, legal updates.
• Demand evidence, not opinions: Question experts, require evidence for every health recommendation.
• Advocate for medical freedom and informed consent: Protect individual rights to choose medical interventions, referencing the Nuremberg Code.
• Support nutrition and holistic health in medicine: Encourage systemic change for doctor education and health care delivery.

Final Thoughts

Del Bigtree and Dr. Josh Axe deliver a passionate, detailed argument for medical freedom, greater transparency, and a complete overhaul of the system that currently defines American health. The conversation blends deeply personal perspectives with major institutional critiques, urging listeners to ask critical questions, demand real evidence, and engage in the creation of new health communities—from the ground up.

For more:

• Visit thehighwire.com for weekly broadcasts.
• Watch “An Inconvenience Study” for a deep dive into vaccine safety research.
• Follow Dr. Josh Axe for holistic health insights and practical resources.