RFK Jr.’s ‘chemtrails’ probe shows the power conspiracy theories have to shape health policy

While plowing a wheat field in rural Washington state in the 1990s, William Wallace^[1] spotted a gray plane overhead that he believed was releasing chemicals to make him sick. The rancher began to suspect that all white vapor trails from aircraft might be dangerous.

He shared his concern^[2] with reporters, acknowledging it sounded a little like “The X Files,” a science fiction television show.

Academics cite Wallace’s story as one of the catalysts behind a fringe concept that has spread among adherents to the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement and is gaining traction at the highest levels of the federal government. Its treatment as a serious issue underscores that under President Donald Trump, unscientific ideas have unusual power to take hold and shape public health policy.

The concept posits that airplane vapor trails, or contrails, are really “chemtrails”^[3] containing toxic substances that poison people and the terrain. Another version alleges planes or devices are being deployed by the federal government^[4], private companies, or researchers to trigger big weather changes, such as hurricanes, or to alter the Earth’s climate, emitting hazardous chemicals in the process.

Several Republican lawmakers and leaders in the Trump administration remain convinced the concepts are legitimate, though scientists have sought to discredit such claims.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to investigate climate and weather control, and is expected to create a task force that will recommend possible federal action, according to a former agency official, an internal agency memo^[5] obtained by KFF Health News and a consultant who helped with the memo.

The plans, along with comments by top Republican lawmakers, show how rumors and conspiracy theories can gain an air of legitimacy due to social media and a political climate infused with falsehoods, some political scientists and researchers say.

“When we have low access to information or low trust in our sources of information, a lot of times we turn to our peer groups, the groups we are members of and we define ourselves by,” said Timothy Tangherlini^[6], a folklorist and professor of information at the University of California-Berkeley. He added that the government’s investigation of conspiracy theories “gives the impression of having some authoritative element.”

HHS is expected to appoint a special government employee to investigate climate and weather control, according to Gray Delany,^[7] former head^[8] of the agency’s MAHA agenda, who said he drafted the memo. The agency has interviewed applicants to lead a “chemtrails” task force, said Jim Lee, a blogger focused on weather and climate who Delany said helped edit the memo, which Lee confirmed.

“HHS does not comment on future or potential policy decisions and task forces,” agency spokesperson Emily Hilliard said in an email.

The memo alleges that “aerosolized heavy metals such as Aluminum, Barium and Strontium, as well as other materials such as sulfuric acid precursors, are sprayed into the atmosphere under the auspices of combatting global warming,” through a process of stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI.

“There are serious concerns SAI spraying is leading to increased heavy metal content in the atmosphere,” the memo states.

The memo claims, without providing evidence, that the substances cause elevated heavy-metal content in the atmosphere, soil and waterways, and that aluminum is a toxic product used in SAI linked to dementia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, asthma-like illnesses, and other chronic illnesses. The July 14 memo was addressed to White House health adviser Calley Means^[9], who didn’t respond to a voicemail left by a reporter seeking comment.

High-level federal government officials are presenting false claims as facts without evidence and referring to events that not only haven’t occurred but, in many cases, are physically impossible, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California.

“That is a pretty shocking memo,” he said. “It doesn’t get more tinfoil hat. They really believe toxins are being sprayed.”

Kennedy has previously promoted debunked chemtrail theories. This spring, he was asked on “Dr. Phil Primetime” about chemicals being sprayed into the stratosphere to change the Earth’s climate.

“It’s done, we think, by DARPA,” Kennedy said,^[10] referring to a Department of Defense agency that develops emerging technology for the military’s use. “And a lot of it now is coming out of the jet fuel. Those materials are put in jet fuel. I’m going to do everything in my power to stop it. We’re bringing on somebody who’s going to think only about that.”

DARPA officials didn’t return a message seeking comment.

Federal messaging

Deploying chemtrails to poison people is just one of many baseless conspiracy theories that have found traction among Trump administration health policy officials led by Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist before entering politics. He continues to promote a supposed link between vaccines and autism, as well as make statements connecting fluoride^[11] in drinking water to arthritis, bone fractures, thyroid disease, and cancer. The World Health Organization says fluoride is safe^[12] when used as recommended.

Delany, who was ousted in August^[13] from HHS, said Kennedy has expressed strong interest in chemtrails.

“This is an issue that really matters to MAHA,” said Delany, referring to the informal movement associated with Kennedy that is composed of people who are skeptical of evidence-based medicine.

The memo also alleges that “suspicious weather events have been occurring and have increased awareness of the issue to the public, some of which have been acknowledged to have been caused by geoengineering activities, such as the flooding in Dubai in 2024.” Geoengineering refers to^[14] intentional large-scale efforts to change the climate to counteract global warming.

“It is unconscionable that anyone should be allowed to spray known neurotoxins and environmental toxins over our nation’s citizens, their land, food and water supplies,” Delany’s memo states.

Scientists, meteorologists, and other branches of the federal government say these assertions are largely incorrect. Some points in the memo are accurate, including concerns that commercial aircraft contribute to acid rain.

But critics say the memo builds on kernels of truth before veering into unscientific fringe theories. Efforts to control the weather are being made, largely by states and local governments seeking to combat droughts, but the results are modest and highly localized. It isn’t possible to manipulate large-scale weather events, scientists say.

Severe flooding in the United Arab Emirates in 2024 couldn’t have been caused by weather manipulation because no technology could create that kind of rainfall event, Maarten Ambaum^[15], a meteorologist at the University of Reading who studies Gulf region rainfall patterns, said in a statement on the floods. Similar debunked claims^[16] emerged this year^[17] after central Texas experienced devastating floods.

The Government Accountability Office concluded in a 2024 report^[18] that questions remain as to the effectiveness of weather modification.

Research into changing the climate has been conducted, including work by one private company^[19] that engaged in field tests. Still, federal agencies say no ongoing or large-scale projects are underway. Study of the concept remains in the research phase^[20]. The Environmental Protection Agency says there are no large-scale^[21] or government efforts to affect the Earth’s climate.

“Solar geoengineering is not occurring via direct delivery by commercial aircraft and is not associated with aviation contrails^[22],” the agency says on its website.

Widespread misinformation

Misperceptions about weather, climate control, and airplane contrails extend beyond the Trump administration, scientists said.

In September, a congressional House committee hearing^[23] titled “Playing God With the Weather — A Disastrous Forecast” involved two hours of debate on the once-fringe idea. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who chaired the hearing, has introduced legislation to ban weather and climate control, with a fine of up to $100,000 and up to five years in prison.

Some Democrats objected to the nature of the discussion. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., accused Greene of using “the platform of Congress to proffer anti-science theories, to platform climate denialism.”

Frequently citing chemtrails, GOP lawmakers have introduced legislation^[24] in about two dozen^[25] states to ban weather modification or geoengineering. Florida passed a bill^[26] to establish an online portal so residents can report alleged violations.

“The Free State of Florida means freedom from governments or private actors unilaterally applying chemicals or geoengineering to people or public spaces,” Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press statement^[27] this spring.

Meanwhile, the chemtrail conspiracy has permeated popular culture. The title track on singer Lana Del Ray’s seventh studio album is entitled “Chemtrails Over the Country Club^[28].” Bill Maher dove into the chemtrail myth on his podcast “Club Random,” saying, “This is nuts. It’s just nuts^[29].” And “Chemtrails,” a psychological thriller, wrapped filming^[30] in July.

Social media has given wing to the chemtrails concept and other fringe ideas involving public health. They include an outlandish belief that Anthony Fauci, who advised both Trump and President Joe Biden on the government response to the covid-19 pandemic, created the AIDS epidemic^[31]. There is no evidence of such a link, public health leaders say.

Researchers say another false belief by those on the far right holds that people who received covid vaccines could shed the virus^[32], causing infertility in the unvaccinated. There is no evidence of such a connection, scientists and researchers say.

More severe weather events due to global warming may be driving some of the baseless theories, scientists say. And risks occur when such ideas take hold among the general population or policymakers, some public health leaders say. Climate researchers, including Swain, say they’ve received death threats.

Lee, the blogger, said he disagrees with some of the more far-fetched beliefs and is aware of the harm they can cause.

“There are people wanting to shoot down planes because they think they are chemtrails,” said Lee, adding that some believers are afraid to venture outside when plane vapor trails are visible overhead.

There is also no evidence that plane contrails cause health problems or are related to intentional efforts to control the climate, according to the EPA and other scientists.

The memo and focus at HHS on climate and weather control are alarming because they perpetuate conspiracies, said David Keith, a professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago.

“It’s unmoored to reality,” he said. “I expected there were documents like this, but seeing it in print is nevertheless shocking. Our government is being driven by nonsensical dreck from dark corners of social media.”

This article^[33] first appeared on KFF Health News^[34].