Trump to tear up Obama-era school lunch rules blocking whole, 2% milk
The Trump administration is tearing up an Obama-era policy barring public schools participating in the National School Lunch Program from offering whole and 2% milk to students.
A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump will sign the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act Wednesday afternoon.
The executive order dismantles restrictions laid out in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, signed by former President Barack Obama, which requires public schools in the National School Lunch Program to provide students with reduced-fat milk options.
“President Trump will sign into law a fix to the failed Obama policy that foolishly banned whole milk from public schools and barred children from the essential nutrients needed to grow, learn, and stay healthy,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“This is common sense and great news for America’s children, dairy farmers, and parents who deserve choice, not big government mandates,” Rogers said. “President Trump is delivering on his commitment to Make America Healthy Again!”
The National School Lunch Program is federally funded, and offers low-cost or free meals to students. Reduced-fat or fat-free milk will still be offered to students under the new order.
The executive order comes just days after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rolled out new dietary guidelines that prioritize healthy fats and full-fat dairy.
The new order also comes days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture shared an image of Trump with a milk mustache, harkening back to the 1990s and 2000s “Got Milk?” campaign, and said: “Drink up, America.”
In January 2025, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins confirmed her affinity for whole milk during her confirmation hearing, during an exchange with Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas.
WHOLE MILK MAKES A COMEBACK IN NEW MAHA CHILDREN’S HEALTH STRATEGY
“Ms. Rollins, welcome. Would you agree with me that whole milk is the most nutritious drink done to humankind and belongs in our school lunches?” Marshall said as he pulled out a carton of milk and poured it into a glass for himself.
“Senator, I don’t know that you’ve met my mom yet, this is all we had in our refrigerator growing up,” Rollins said. “Not anything else, just whole milk.”
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.