The 'gold standard' MAHA report cited studies that don't exist
Reporters found at least seven phantom citations in the White House report on children's health. Some listed authors said they never wrote the papers.
The Make America Healthy Again Commission report, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., promised gold-standard science and cited more than 500 sources. The nonprofit news outlet NOTUS found at least seven citations to studies that do not appear to exist, including papers that researchers listed as authors said they never wrote, and found other studies whose conclusions were misstated.
The Washington Post found signs that some references were generated with artificial intelligence. The report was revised within hours, but NOTUS reported the new version introduced fresh errors.
The receipts
Original reporting. Credit belongs to these outlets and authors; read the full stories at the source.
NOTUS byline on original
The MAHA report cites studies that don't existNBC News byline on original
Trump admin corrects RFK Jr.'s MAHA report citation errorsScience (AAAS) byline on original
Trump officials downplay fake citations in high-profile report on children's healthMSN (as shared in our notes) byline on original
'Not a real paper': scientists say MAHA report cites nonexistent sources