Trump Admin Denies Colluding With Taylor Farms Over Cyclospora: ‘FAKE NEWS’ - Newsweek

What the report says

Newsweek reported that the Trump administration rejected suggestions that political ties to Taylor Farms influenced federal handling of a multistate cyclospora outbreak. The scrutiny followed the FDA’s brief announcement that a Taylor Farms lettuce sample had tested positive for the parasite, then its retraction after a follow-up quality-control review found the result was a false positive. HHS responded on X by calling the collusion claim “FAKE NEWS” and saying health decisions were guided by science and public safety.

The report said questions about Taylor Fresh Foods’ political connections intensified after FEC records showed the company gave $1 million to Make America Great Again Inc. in March 2025. Newsweek also cited records showing CEO Bruce Taylor made several donations to Republican-aligned political committees in 2025 and 2026, as well as a smaller contribution to a bipartisan produce industry PAC. The article noted reporting that company executives recently met with White House and FDA officials about concerns over the outbreak response, and that Taylor Farms had hired former White House official Trent Morse.

Federal officials said the investigation still points to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico as the likely source for one outbreak cluster linked to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Taylor Farms said it voluntarily recalled affected iceberg lettuce products, removed them from the market, and would stop sourcing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for the rest of the growing season.

Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness, often associated with contaminated produce. Newsweek reported CDC figures showing at least 1,645 U.S. illnesses and 141 hospitalizations, while authorities are examining multiple clusters rather than attributing all cases to one source.