When President Trump chose the dignified Roosevelt Room in the White House to present a report on autism, he was clearly sending a message: this issue is deeply personal to him.
“I’ve always had very strong feelings about autism,” Trump stated, noting he’d anticipated such an event for two decades. He then declared, “I’ve stopped seven different wars. I’ve saved millions of lives. I’ve done a lot of things. This will be as important as any single thing I’ve done.”
For an hour, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other senior health officials present, Trump passionately—though with questionable scientific backing—discussed the increasing rates of autism, labeling it “among the most alarming public health developments in history.”
He offered inaccurate medical advice regarding vaccines and strongly advised pregnant women against using acetaminophen (Tylenol’s active ingredient), claiming it might lead to autism in infants. He also suggested parents should spread out their babies’ vaccinations, which goes against established immunization guidelines. Trump admitted his views were more extreme than those of Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, whose more cautious statements led the president to acknowledge he wasn’t fully informed.
“We’re making these statements, and I’m making them out front, and I’m making them loud, and I’m making them strongly, not to take Tylenol, not to take it, just don’t take it unless it’s absolutely necessary — and there’s not too many cases where that will be the case,” Trump reiterated.
He concluded, “And again, what’s the worst? The worst is nothing can happen,” despite medical consensus that fevers during pregnancy can pose serious risks to both mother and fetus.
Trump’s engagement with the topic of autism goes back to at least December 2007, when he welcomed leaders from Autism Speaks to his Mar-a-Lago estate. At that time, he speculated that infants received too many vaccinations simultaneously. A few months later, he mentioned that he and his wife, Melania, had opted for a delayed vaccine schedule for their son Barron, who was then around two years old.
“What we’ve done with Barron, we’ve taken him on a very slow process,” Trump explained. “He gets one shot at a time, then we wait a few months and give him another shot, the old-fashioned way.”
During this period, the future president was known for hosting the NBC reality show “The Apprentice.” Bob Wright, then chairman of NBC, and his wife Suzanne—grandparents to a child with autism—had established Autism Speaks two years prior. They had requested Trump host a fundraiser, which included a concert by Lionel Richie, in March 2008 to support their organization.
Even though the 1998 medical journal article that initiated theories linking vaccines to autism hadn’t yet been retracted, Dr. David Mandell, an autism specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, confirmed that ample scientific evidence existed to debunk such claims at that time.
Dr. Mandell specifically noted that concerning Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who authored the 1998 study, “within four years it was clear that he had faked his data and large, good, epidemiological studies were coming out showing no link.”
Despite the scientific clarity, many parents remained worried, according to Alison Singer, then executive vice president of Autism Speaks. Singer, who later founded the Autism Science Foundation in 2009, affirmed that all scientific questions regarding a vaccine-autism link had been definitively resolved, showing no connection.
She recalls Trump bringing up his concerns about vaccines during a brunch at Mar-a-Lago, where he and Mrs. Trump met with her and the Wrights.
“Melania was carrying Barron, he was a baby, and even at that time, Donald Trump did talk about his interest and concerns around vaccines,” she shared, adding, “I do believe that he comes to the question of trying to find the cause of autism legitimately.”
Beyond personal interest, Trump might also have political motivations for addressing the supposed autism epidemic. He understands that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has frequently asserted a link between vaccines and autism, played a role in his election victory.
“For Trump, this issue holds both personal and political significance,” stated Craig Snyder, a Washington D.C. lobbyist who previously represented Autism Speaks in 2007 and now works with the Autism Science Foundation.
Snyder explained, “Personally, he has considered this a high-priority issue for a very long time.” Regarding Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement, Snyder further commented, “Politically, I believe he sees MAHA and Kennedy’s supporters as a crucial part of his base. They were a key factor in his election, so this falls under the umbrella of fulfilling a campaign promise.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately one in 31 American eight-year-olds currently have an autism diagnosis. In contrast, this figure was about one in 150 back in 2007.
“When I was growing up, autism wasn’t really a factor,” Trump told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “And now all of a sudden, it’s an epidemic. Everybody has their theory, and my theory is the shots. They’re getting these massive injections at one time. I think it’s the vaccinations.”
For almost two decades since the 2008 fundraiser, Trump has consistently voiced concerns about autism and vaccines. He brought up the topic on social media in 2014 and during a presidential debate in 2015, recounting, “I’ve seen it, a beautiful child, went to have the vaccine.” He claimed that a week later, the child developed a fever and subsequently became autistic.
Just before his inauguration in 2017, Trump held a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with autism advocates who subscribe to the belief that vaccines cause autism.
On Monday, Trump recounted a similar anecdote he’s shared before: an unnamed former Trump Organization employee who told him she had “lost” her son after he received vaccinations and developed a high fever.
“I’ve lost him, sir, he’s gone,” Trump quoted the woman. He added, “And then I saw the boy. It was a whole — it was so tragic to see.”
Numerous parents of children with autism expressed enthusiasm for Trump’s involvement, having spent decades advocating for increased federal funding for autism research and potential therapies. Two mothers, whose children have autism, joined Trump on Monday to voice their appreciation.
However, Alison Singer noted a significant irony in Monday’s announcement.
“Those of us in the advocacy community, who care deeply about individuals with autism, had genuinely hoped that the president and R.F.K. Jr. were committed to uncovering the true causes of autism and promoting rigorous, ‘gold standard’ scientific research,” Singer stated.
“However, what we heard today was far from ‘gold standard’ science,” she continued. “It wasn’t even science. Instead, President Trump simply shared his personal opinions and feelings, without providing any supporting scientific evidence.”