President Donald Trump, 79, went off-script on Monday during a White House announcement that was supposed to focus on his administration’s claim of finding links between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. Instead, flanked by top health officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump delivered a series of confusing remarks, missteps, and questionable medical claims that immediately drew backlash from the medical community.
“I think I can say that there are certain groups of people that don’t take any vaccines or don’t take any pills that have no autism,” Trump declared confidently, before looking at those beside him to check whether his statement was accurate. “Is that a correct statement by the way?” he asked.
Kennedy responded by pointing to the Amish community, though autism has been documented there as well. “The Amish, yeah, virtually, I hear no, I heard none,” Trump added. “See, Bobby wants to be very careful with what he says, and he should, but I am not so careful with what I say. You have certain groups, the Amish, as an example, they have essentially no autism.”
The president continued, moving to other examples while appearing to rely on rumors rather than evidence. “I mean, there’s a rumor and I don’t know if it’s so or not that Cuba, they don’t have Tylenol because they don’t have the money for Tylenol, and they have virtually no autism, okay? Tell me about that one,” he said. Trump suggested that nations without access to Tylenol also saw almost no autism cases.
He went on to argue that there was “no downside” to avoiding the medication altogether, urging pregnant women to endure discomfort instead of using it. “With Tylenol, don’t take it. Don’t take it,” Trump insisted. “And if you can’t live and your fever is so bad, you have to take one because there’s no alternative to that, sadly.” He then added, “What can you take instead? It’s actually there’s not an alternative to that. And as you know, other of the medicines are absolutely proven bad.”
After his remarks, Trump turned back to Kennedy, joking, “I hope I didn’t ruin his day,” acknowledging that his comments had strayed far from the prepared script. The scene echoed moments from his first term, when he was criticized for promoting unproven treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical experts quickly condemned the president’s statements. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists described Trump’s linking of Tylenol in pregnancy to autism as “irresponsible” and “highly unsettling.” The group emphasized that acetaminophen remains one of the few safe and necessary options for treating fever and pain during pregnancy, both of which can carry risks if left untreated.
“Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy,” the organization said. It added that the administration’s statement is “not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children.”
While some observational studies have found associations between long-term acetaminophen use in pregnancy and developmental conditions, researchers at institutions like Yale University stress that such studies do not prove causation. Trump, however, did not present new evidence during his announcement, leaving medical leaders warning that his remarks could create confusion and unnecessary fear for pregnant women who depend on the medicine.
