Fact-Checking Trump's Controversial Claims on Autism and Medication

Tue Sep 30 2025 03:53:06 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

An analysis of President Trump's recent assertions linking autism diagnoses to medication and vaccination practices, examining the scientific evidence and expert opinions.

In a recent press conference, President Donald Trump made several unsubstantiated claims regarding autism diagnoses in the U.S., linking them to the painkiller Tylenol and vaccination practices. This article fact-checks these assertions, revealing a lack of scientific support and significant backlash from medical experts and organizations.

US President Donald Trump has attracted condemnation from health experts after claiming a link between the widely used painkiller Tylenol and autism. Accompanied by his Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., Trump suggested that doctors may soon be advised against recommending the medication, particularly to pregnant women.

Medical experts have criticized these assertions. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists labeled the announcement as unsettling and rooted in unreliable data, while the UK's National Autism Society called Trump's remarks dangerous, anti-science, and irresponsible. BBC Verify scrutinized some of the statements made by Trump and Kennedy during their White House press conference.

Is Trump correct that US autism diagnoses are rising?

During the event, Trump claimed autism diagnoses in the US have surged, stating an increase from one in 10,000...probably 18 years ago to one in 31 by 2025. While the statistic about autism rates current as one in 31 is accurate according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, Trump's historical comparison is flawed. In 2006, autism prevalence was estimated at one in 110, and in 2008 it was one in 88. Experts attribute the rise in diagnoses primarily to improved detection and awareness rather than an actual surge in cases.

Should the MMR vaccine be taken separately?

Trump also suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine should be administered separately, raising alarms about potentially dangerous implications should parents act on his unverified claims. Historical context reveals a discredited study in 1998 linking the MMR vaccine to autism, which has since been thoroughly debunked by numerous studies concluding no such relationship exists. Current recommendations from the CDC advocate for the combined MMR vaccination schedule.

Are autism rates lower among Amish people?

Trump indicated that the Amish community reports virtually no autism, implying their limited use of Tylenol contributes to this statistic. Limited research exists on autism rates in the Amish community, and recent findings suggest autism occurrence is indeed present, albeit potentially underreported due to cultural practices surrounding healthcare.

What has Trump said about autism previously?

This isn't the first time Trump has addressed concerns over autism rates; he has suggested a vaccine-autism link since 2007 and has consistently engaged with Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s controversial views on vaccinations. Historically, Trump has emphasized the importance of vaccinations on occasions while simultaneously promoting scrutiny over vaccine safety measures.