Trump’s Baseless Autism Claims: Fueling Conspiracy and Ignorance
During a recent cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump echoed unfounded claims about the causes of autism, suggesting that it could be linked to drugs or other artificial factors. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, also expressed his belief that certain interventions are “almost certainly” causing autism and promised a report on the matter by September. These statements come despite scientific consensus, which attributes the rise in autism diagnoses to increased awareness and improved diagnostic methods, not vaccines. Both Trump and Kennedy have continued to spread misinformation, despite the potential harm to public health.