Trump pushes unproven autism claims, urges Tylenol avoidance at health event

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump offered unproven medical advice on autism during remarks Monday in Washington, appearing alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine skeptic. The event, focused on pediatric health, saw Trump present himself in the role of a medical authority, even as his statements contradicted established medical guidance.

Trump repeatedly urged pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol, the bestselling form of acetaminophen, even as major medical groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have long deemed acetaminophen safe for use during pregnancy. He also weighed in on when children should receive vaccines, suggesting delays or giving combination shots separately—despite a broad scientific consensus that vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, and rubella, do not cause autism. He punctuated his remarks with a sweeping warning: “Don’t let them pump your baby up with the largest pile of stuff you’ve ever seen in your life.” He added that the vaccines “look like they’re pumping into a horse,” describing what he said was a vat of 80 different vaccines.

The presentation recalled the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when Trump held daily White House briefings and promoted claims later shown to be inaccurate, including the infamous suggestion that injecting disinfectants could treat COVID-19. During Monday’s event, he acknowledged the tone might be controversial at times, saying, “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning?” He later claimed he had been joking about the disinfectant remark, even as the broader program continued with similar rhetoric.

Trump insisted that the statements were based on “the information that we have” and said he was speaking “out front” and “loud,” asserting there was “no downside” to following his advice beyond potential burdens on a mother, whom he said would have to “tough it out a little bit.” He did acknowledge, however, that there could be risks associated with untreated fevers in pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester, noting that such risks can include miscarriage or preterm birth—though he framed his message as a matter of weighing common-sense options rather than presenting new research.

The medical and ethics response to the comments was swift. Arthur Caplan, head of the NYU School of Medicine’s Division of Medical Ethics, criticized the remarks, calling them “the saddest display of a lack of evidence, rumors, recycling old myths, lousy advice, outright lies, and dangerous advice I have ever witnessed by anyone in authority in the world claiming to know anything about science.” Caplan added that what was said was not only unsupported and wrong but “malpractice in managing pregnancy and protecting fetal life.”

Kenvue LLC, the maker of Tylenol, issued a statement distancing the claims linking acetaminophen to autism. The company said there is no scientific basis for such a link and warned that pregnant mothers who avoid needed fever relief could face tough choices between fever management and riskier alternatives. The company’s note underscored that acetaminophen is widely considered safe by medical societies when used as directed.

In the heat of the presentation, Trump stumbled over the drug’s name, mispronouncing acetaminophen in a moment that drew attention after he had suggested a new medical connection he said his administration had discovered. “Asedo ... well, let’s see how we say that. Acid em ... menophin,” he muttered before continuing. He then repeated the question, “Acetaminophen? Is that OK?”

Throughout the event, Trump kept to a familiar, provocative cadence: he asserted that there is a link between acetaminophen and autism, urged changes to vaccination timing, and insisted that the science would eventually support his broader claims. He also claimed there was “no downside” to ignoring his advice, beyond what he described as mothers having to endure discomfort or complications that could be avoided with his recommendations. He later asserted, “Everything I said, there’s no downside to doing it. It can only be good.”

The scientific consensus, including extensive reviews by public health authorities, maintains that vaccines do not cause autism and that delaying vaccination can increase the risk of preventable disease. The remarks drew immediate pushback from health officials and medical ethicists, who warned that linking common medicines to autism without evidence risks undermining public health and patient safety. Rumors and misinformation around vaccines have long circulated in political discourse, but experts stressed the importance of relying on validated research when advising parents.

Ahead of the event, Trump had suggested his administration had identified new medical links that could explain autism rates—but the briefing itself did not deliver new scientific findings. The episode, including the mispronunciation and the forceful framing of nontraditional medical counsel, sparked renewed attention to the ongoing tension between policy, politics, and scientific guidance on child health.

As the day closed, observers noted that while the president and his aides referenced data and public health messaging, the remarks largely echoed familiar political talking points rather than presenting new evidence. Public-health experts emphasized that protecting fetal and child health requires adherence to evidence-based guidelines and that broad, unfounded claims about vaccines or medications can jeopardize routine care and undermine trust in medical institutions. This episode underscored the ongoing challenge of communicating science in a politically charged environment, where rhetoric about autism and vaccination continues to influence public perception and policy debates.