Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is back in the headlines – and not for the reasons he might hope.
During a recent meeting with Donald Trump and Cabinet members, Kennedy reignited one of his most infamous claims: that the common painkiller Tylenol could be linked to autism.
Despite admitting there’s no medical proof, he doubled down on his long-running theory — and even introduced a few bizarre new ones along the way.
Fired back
You might recall that just a few weeks ago, Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. teased what sounded like a major revelation — claiming that pregnant women taking common painkillers could somehow cause autism in their babies.
But according to scientists, that’s simply not true.
Experts from across the medical community quickly shut down the theory, saying there’s “no evidence of any link” between painkillers like Tylenol and autism — which, in plain terms, means the claim doesn’t hold up.
Tylenol’s manufacturer also fired back, saying it “strongly disagrees” with the allegations. Meanwhile, the National Autistic Society blasted Trump and Kennedy’s comments as “dangerous, anti-science, and deeply irresponsible.”
The intensity with which he and RFK Jr. appear to be fixating on finding an “answer” to autism is concerning to many.
That includes former president Barack Obama, who yesterday claimed that the current administration’s new proposal posed a threat to public health.
But during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doubled down on his claims, continuing to insist there was a connection.
“Anybody who takes the stuff during pregnancy unless they have to is irresponsible,” Kennedy told Trump.
“It is not proof. We’re doing the studies to make the proof.”
”Trump derangement syndrome”
At one point, Kennedy appeared to misunderstand basic anatomy, saying a woman on TikTok had been “gobbling Tylenol with a baby in her placenta” — an error that immediately raised eyebrows among health experts. (For the record: babies develop in the uterus, not the placenta.)
Kennedy went on to claim the woman’s behavior reflected “Trump derangement syndrome,” suggesting that hatred of the president had somehow led to medical recklessness.
If that wasn’t enough, Kennedy also revived an older, debunked claim — that boys circumcised as infants have “double the rate of autism” because they’re given Tylenol afterward.
The statement appears to reference a 2015 Danish study that found a correlation — not causation — between circumcision and autism, according to AP. Researchers behind the study themselves stressed that they had no data on painkillers used and warned against jumping to conclusions.
Kennedy’s insistence on tying everyday health practices to autism has reignited fierce criticism. Many medical experts worry that his position as health secretary gives his statements dangerous credibility — potentially undermining evidence-based medicine.
What do you think — should public figures be held accountable for spreading unproven medical claims, or is it just free speech? Sound off in the comments and join the conversation.
