A provocative new national ad campaign by the bipartisan government watchdog White Coat Waste Project is directly challenging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing his department of continuing to pour millions of taxpayer dollars into “Fauci-era” animal experiments on dogs, cats, primates, and bats despite promises of reform and the Trump administration’s push for deep NIH budget cuts.
The campaign, rolled out during Tax Week, features bold billboards and digital ads emblazoned with the slogan “WTF RFK? End Fauci’s Animal Labs.” It began appearing in Washington, DC, on Monday, with placements expanding to six additional cities: Los Angeles, CA; Columbia, MO; Fort Collins, CO; Athens, GA; Beaverton, OR; and near Hamilton, MT, locations tied to active or renewed NIH-funded research sites.
White Coat Waste exclusively shared details of the rollout with Loomer Unleashed, along with a first look at the ads that are now running in the nation’s capital.
The group has also unveiled a new website, MAHABetrayed.org, to document what it calls the betrayal of the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda on animal testing.
White Coat Waste Senior Vice President Justin Goodman told me in an interview this morning: “Funding Fauci’s animal labs isn’t making America great or healthy. WTF RFK?”
Goodman is scheduled to appear on my show, Loomer Unleashed, on Tuesday, April 14, to break down the new ad campaign and present the organization’s findings, which expose how the NIH has spent over $126 million on dog and cat experiments since Kennedy took office.
Accusation of Defiance Against President Trump’s Agenda
The timing of the campaign is no coincidence. President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, led by Russ Vought, recently released the FY 2027 NIH budget proposal, which calls for approximately $5 billion in cuts to the NIH as part of broader efforts to slash wasteful spending at the Department of Health and Human Services.
White Coat Waste argues that HHS is actively defying those directives and President Trump’s priorities by renewing and extending grants for legacy animal testing programs while publicly suggesting reductions are underway.
“Instead of shutting down Fauci’s disgusting beagle labs, they’re spending even more,” the group contends, accusing officials of misleading the American public on progress toward phasing out animal use in favor of modern alternatives.
Kennedy has long advocated for reducing reliance on animal models in biomedical research, emphasizing a shift toward human-relevant methods such as organ-on-a-chip technology and advanced data modeling. However, watchdog spending records obtained by White Coat Waste show continued funding flows for certain dog, cat, and primate studies at universities and NIH-linked facilities.
A Flashpoint in the MAHA Movement
The billboard campaign against HHS underscores growing tensions within the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and the government efficiency push led by initiatives like DOGE. While the Trump administration has scored wins in closing specific high-profile beagle experiments and promoting non-animal alternatives, the pace of change at NIH remains too slow under current leadership, including NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.
White Coat Waste, which represents millions of taxpayers and pet owners, argues this issue is one of humane treatment of animals, and also an issue of basic fiscal responsibility: Americans should not be forced to subsidize cruel and outdated experiments on innocent animals.
The campaign arrives as Congress prepares for intense budget battles, with animal testing reform emerging as a rare bipartisan concern that unites fiscal conservatives, animal welfare advocates, and health reformers.
Justin Goodman’s appearance on my show this week will provide additional exclusive details on the scale of the spending, specific grants in question, and White Coat Waste’s demands for immediate action from Secretary Kennedy and the Trump White House.
