During his inquisition before congressional Democrats, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (“RFK”) more than held his own. He managed to elicit from them that they’re all in the pay of the pharmaceutical companies and that they are completely clueless about how modern vaccinations work. Having shaken off that humiliation, Democrats are now trying to force Trump to fire RFK by claiming that his plan to focus on a possible link between autism and acetaminophen is a “crackpot” theory that disqualifies him from the position he holds.
Image created using AI.
The only problem with that is that RFK didn’t pluck this idea out of thin air or find it on some tinfoil hat conspiracy website. Instead, it came straight from a recent study, which had the faculty dean of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health as its senior author.
This started with a WSJ report on Friday. “RFK Jr., HHS to Link Autism to Tylenol Use in Pregnancy and Folate Deficiencies,” screams the headline, followed by a subhead stating, “Kennedy’s autism report, touted by Trump, will suggest that using the pain reliever during pregnancy might be linked to the developmental disorder.”
The lengthy article explains,
Kennedy’s report is expected to be a review of existing research, people familiar with the matter said. Scientists say conducting rigorous research on the causes of autism can take years. Decades of work looking for the roots of autism have found a variety of possible contributors, including genes.
[snip]
The report is expected to suggest other potential causes of autism and suggest further study, people familiar with the matter said. It couldn’t be determined if the report will mention vaccines, which Kennedy for years has said might cause autism.
The article then says that most research and myriad lawsuits have not turned up a link between acetaminophen and autism. However, it acknowledges that a “few studies have suggested a link” and that, in 2021, 91 scientists “published a consensus statement saying acetaminophen was risky for fetal development.” This, however, was rebutted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The general tone of the article is dismissive—and of course, that may be correct.
But...
Democrats (both in the media and on social media) vociferously rebutted the claim, with many viewing it as proof positive that RFK is a dangerous lunatic:
Reports say Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce a possible link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism in children. Federal health officials call the claim “speculation,” and Tylenol maker Kenvue disputes it. CBS News' @DrLaPook gives insight. pic.twitter.com/KYRURyeyH9
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) September 5, 2025
Big flaw in kennedy jrs tylenol and autism thing. It was launched in 1955. So if thats the cause, why did this guy have autism?? Einstein was too just not formally dignosed cause autism wasnt a thing. pic.twitter.com/tipP6Zj2SV
— Jamie B. (@ILoveCodeBlack) September 7, 2025
MAHA activists are amplifying new research suggesting a connection between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, fueling online debate and calls for regulatory action.
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 5, 2025
Experts urge caution but note the evidence is not conclusive. https://t.co/hfeyEYsCE0
The term autism was first introduced by Eugen Bleuler in his description of schizophrenia in 1911.
— Marc Sheffler (@M5Marc) September 5, 2025
Tylenol came on the market in 1960.
Kennedy is a conspiracy theory spouting moron.
You’ve got to be shitting me. This is a slap in the face to every woman who has ever been pregnant. How dare RFK Jr. target mothers with fear and misinformation? There is no proven link between Tylenol use in pregnancy and autism. Tylenol is one of the few safe medications… pic.twitter.com/q8EgW8fhAi
— Nisha Patel, MD MS, Dipl of ABOM, CCMS (@DrPlantel) September 5, 2025
As you can see, the naysayers missed the fact that RFK speculates that acetaminophen is just one possible cause among many, rather than the sole cause.
But here’s what matters: All of them also missed that RFK was on top of the most recent research from what is still one of the most prestigious institutions in America: Harvard. Thus, someone named “Meat Head” dug up the report of an August 14 study—presumably the last research done on the topic—that boasts as its senior author Andrea Baccarelli, the dean of the faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, working in concert with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (another reputable institution), to say that there may indeed be a connection:
RFK didn't link Tylenol with autism.
— Meat Head (@markeatsmeat) September 6, 2025
The dean of Harvard's School of Public Health did. https://t.co/GkSW5DULkO pic.twitter.com/s7w8hR8dlX
You can read the original, August 14, 2025, study here. It turns out that the study is a meta study—that is, it consolidated the results of multiple other studies. Its opening paragraph states:
Acetaminophen is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain and fever medication taken during pregnancy, with > 50% of pregnant women using acetaminophen worldwide. Numerous well-designed studies have indicated that pregnant mothers exposed to acetaminophen have children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), at higher rates than children of pregnant mothers who were not exposed to acetaminophen.
One doesn’t have to agree with the conclusions of the study, just as one doesn’t have to agree with the prevailing view that acetaminophen is safe. Since I haven’t read the data, I don’t have an opinion.
My only point is that RFK is proving to be vastly more well-informed about the current state of the science than his critics. All that they’ve managed to do is expose their ignorance as he repeatedly says that he wants to shake off the cast-iron shibboleths of the past and reexamine things (vaccines, pain relievers, etc.) in light of the latest scientific research. We should all support that.