At a joint press conference in Washington, President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asserted that prenatal use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) causes autism in children. Trump cited what he described as “Harvard testimony” to support the claim, while Kennedy referenced “emerging science” and called for immediate FDA action to add warning labels. Neither provided peer‑reviewed evidence, and both framed the issue as a matter of public safety and parental rights.

Kenvue, the manufacturer of Tylenol, rejected the allegations, stating that decades of research and regulatory review have found no causal link between acetaminophen and autism. The FDA acknowledged public concern but reiterated that current evidence does not support a causal relationship. Independent experts, including pediatric associations and the World Health Organization, reaffirmed that Tylenol remains safe when used as directed, particularly as one of the few pain‑relief options considered safe during pregnancy.

The claims drew immediate scrutiny from medical professionals and fact‑checkers, who warned that such statements risk undermining trust in prenatal care and could discourage pregnant women from using safe medications. Public health officials emphasized that misinformation of this kind can spread rapidly, fueling conspiracy narratives and eroding confidence in scientific institutions.

Why it matters: The remarks mark a significant escalation in the politicization of medical guidance, blending populist rhetoric with unverified scientific claims. By invoking institutional distrust and amplifying unsupported links between Tylenol and autism, Trump and Kennedy risk shifting public discourse away from evidence‑based medicine and toward conspiracy‑driven narratives.