Convicted health care fraudster Elizabeth Holmes is being held up as a “perfect martyr” by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. Influencers within MAHA have taken up the Theranos founder’s cause, with widely read mommy blogger Jessica Reed Kraus writing a highly sympathetic Substack post titled “Elizabeth Holmes’ Redemption Arc Loading.” Additionally, longevity-obsessed entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has struck up an online acquaintance with the imprisoned biotech CEO, according to a report by Politico.
“My crew joked that if Holmes emerged today, she would be counted among the innovators MAHA endorses,” Kraus said.
Holmes famously and falsely claimed that Theranos’ blood-testing technology delivered faster and more accurate results than existing methods. However, the product never actually worked. She was found guilty of defrauding investors of hundreds of millions of dollars and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
In response to Holmes’ praise for her “beautifully written article,” Kraus wrote, “My audience is interested in learning more about your case—all that’s been overlooked and twisted. Based on the research I’ve done, it’s definitely deserving of fresh eyes and a whole new series of investigation, which I’m committed to. Stay tuned!”
Kraus polled her readers in June and found that 81 percent of them believed Holmes’ sentence was unfair.
Stanford historian Kathryn Olivarius, who is writing a book on the MAHA movement, said she isn’t surprised that Kraus and other figures in this faction of Donald Trump’s support have embraced Holmes.
“She’s such a perfect martyr for this,” Olivarius said. “It feels almost inevitable that this would happen. There’s something in her story for everyone in this movement. You can always frame it so that, you know, she’s somehow being victimized here.”
Holmes can be portrayed as a victim of Big Pharma by those who believe conspiracy theories about major health corporations. Meanwhile, so-called “trad wives” may see her as just a mom trying to take care of her family. Olivarius noted that these narratives resemble tactics Holmes herself used to promote Theranos.
“She was seeking to always tell a story to investors, board members, regulators, etc.,” Olivarius explained. “This is a tactic that she herself would recognize.”
Holmes’ partner, Billy Evans—who is the father of her children—recently launched an artificial intelligence-related health startup that could benefit from policies made by Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services. Holmes might therefore have even more practical reasons to align herself with MAHA.
The “Free Holmes” cause has also been picked up by Lila Rose, a prominent anti-abortion activist, who called Holmes’s sentence “unjust,” reported The Bulwark’s Will Sommer last week.
As of now, Holmes’s chances of receiving a Trump pardon in 2025 stand at just 5 percent according to Polymarket. However, that figure is higher than that of NXIVM cult founder and convicted sex trafficker Keith Raniere, who has received no betting activity at all.
Holmes began posting on X in August despite being incarcerated. She may be dictating her comments to someone on the outside, but she reached out directly to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shortly after Kraus’ article fueled renewed interest in her case.
“Urgently fortunately we have RFK who is willing to question existing narratives and is not on the take,” she replied to a since-deleted comment on X.
https://www.rawstory.com/elizabeth-holmes-2674283940/