Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services secretary, shared a striking family anecdote amid celebrations of the Trump administration’s latest pharmaceutical breakthroughs. His 29-year-old son, a self-described left-wing Democrat critical of many administration policies, called to express pride in the sharp reductions to U.S. medication costs. “Dad, I want to tell you how proud I am about this,” Kennedy recounted the son saying. “This is the best achievement that could happen to our country.” The moment, captured in a viral exchange, underscores a rare bipartisan nod to President Trump’s most-favored-nation pricing push.

Kennedy highlighted how the deals echo long-standing demands from progressive icons. “This is something Bernie Sanders has been clamoring for for 25 years. Elizabeth Warren has been clamoring for. Joe Biden promised the American people, President Obama, President Clinton all promised to do this,” he said, per a post on X by Eric Daugherty (X post). The son pointed to the injustice of Americans paying exponentially more for drugs developed domestically, like one made in New Jersey sold for $1,300 stateside but $88 in London.

“Everybody recognized how unfair this was. We were paying for all the innovation in this country. Yet, the rest of the world was free-riding on it,” Kennedy added. President Trump directed Kennedy and Mehmet Oz, FDA commissioner, to tackle the disparity early in the term. “President Trump told me and Dr. Oz at the beginning of this term, this is what I want you to do. He leaned on us,” Kennedy noted. He called the outcome “a miracle.”

Executive Order Ignites Pricing Overhaul

The catalyst arrived in May 2025 with Trump’s executive order aiming to align U.S. drug prices with lower international rates, dubbed most-favored-nation pricing. Health policy experts praised the concept but flagged potential legal hurdles from drugmakers. The Guardian reported the plan’s ambition to match foreign benchmarks, while USA Today covered Kennedy sparring with Sanders over credit for curbing costs.

RFK Jr. emphasized pharma cooperation’s role in timelines. Fox Business quoted him saying drug companies’ willingness would dictate speed. By November, Medicare secured negotiated prices for 15 drugs, projecting $12 billion in savings— a 44% cut in spending on those medicines if applied the prior year, according to The New York Times.

December brought acceleration. Trump, Kennedy and Pfizer unveiled the first major plan, promising up to 85% patient savings, with more firms to follow, per Medical Economics.

Pharma Giants Line Up for Deals

On December 19, Trump announced pacts with nine more companies, expanding most-favored-nation to Medicaid and cash-paying patients. Fox Business detailed how 14 of the world’s 17 largest pharma firms agreed to slash prices to match global lows. The White House fact sheet hailed it as the “largest developments to date,” per White House.

Specifics stunned observers: a blood thinner dropped from $750 to $16 monthly; HIV drugs from $1,500 to $217; hepatitis B from $1,400 to $413; hepatitis C from $25,000 to $2,500, as Trump listed in remarks echoed across X posts. Washington Examiner noted pharma rushing to negotiate, signaling momentum.

Reuters confirmed deals for Medicaid and cash payers, aligning U.S. costs with wealthy nations. STAT News called it the biggest such agreement yet.

From Campaign Promise to Reality

Trump’s vow predated the term. Two days prior, he pledged “dramatic” cuts via a new TrumpRX website, negotiating 400-600% reductions versus foreign prices, per PBS NewsHour. The site would enable direct low-price purchases, bypassing intermediaries.

Posts on X amplified the triumphs. Users highlighted Kennedy listing MAHA wins like removing harmful food chemicals, while others marveled at 14 firms’ commitments, with three more imminent. Eric Daugherty’s threads captured Trump’s price examples, framing them as historic affordability victories (X post; X post).

Bernie Sanders’ past plans informed the debate, with Kennedy citing them to bolster Trump’s efforts, as in USA Today.

Industry Mechanics and Challenges

Most-favored-nation ties U.S. reimbursements to the lowest price charged abroad, pressuring firms to equalize or face revenue hits. Negotiated Medicare prices for blockbusters like those 15 drugs set precedents, with savings flowing to beneficiaries via lower Part D premiums and out-of-pockets.

Pharma conceded after initial resistance, lured by pledges to boost U.S. manufacturing investments. Deals require offering lowest global prices domestically, potentially via TrumpRX for uninsured patients. The Economic Times explained potential reshaping for self-payers.

Legal fights loom, but momentum—14 firms in—suggests durability. Kennedy’s son anecdote humanizes the policy, bridging divides on an issue uniting left and right.

Bipartisan Echoes Reshape Debate

The son’s endorsement ties to Democrats’ rhetoric: Sanders’ Medicare-for-all pricing planks, Warren’s scrutiny of pharma profits, Biden’s failed import bids. Kennedy framed it as fulfilling those pledges without full government takeover.

Europe’s price controls, often one-tenth U.S. levels, fueled outrage. Drugs innovated in America subsidized global systems, a grievance Trump weaponized. Success validates his outsider approach over legislative gridlock.

As 2025 closes, TrumpRX rollout and final holdouts promise further drops. Kennedy’s family bridge signals policy’s broad appeal, potentially insulating against reversals.