Politics of Misinformation: Trump on Autism

Image - Eric Mclean

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‘Taking Tylenol is, I’ll say it, not good’ - President Donald Trump.

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Just a few days ago, the Trump administration made an announcement that the President claimed he had ‘waited 20 years for.’ He asserted that he always had strong feelings about autism, about ‘how it happened and where it came from.’ He even went so far as to make the outlandish claim that he and his colleagues ‘understood a lot more about autism than a lot of people who studied it.’

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To the shock of the medical profession and neurological experts, Trump stated that taking Tylenol (paracetamol outside of the US) whilst pregnant increased the risk of a child having autism, claiming that his researchers and Secretary of the US Department for Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, had identified a link between the two. Their advice to pregnant women was not to take acetaminophen in any form, despite admitting there was no safe alternative painkiller that women could use during pregnancy.

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As part of the “evidence” presented to support the Trump administration's musings, the President bizarrely made comparisons between the Amish community. This anecdote seemingly relied upon the fact that he perceived a lack of autism within the community was due to their lack of taking pills or vaccinations. A more likely explanation however is the lack of research that has been conducted within this community, meaning it is challenging to make a comparison to the general population. Additionally, due to their aversion to modern medicine, the Amish are less likely to engage with doctors to establish a diagnosis. Despite this, a 2008 study conducted in Pennsylvania found that the prevalence of autism within the Amish community there was comparable to that of the general population, dispelling Trump’s myths that some groups have ‘no autism.’

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Trump has previously linked vaccinations to causing autism, neither of these statements have been supported by scientific evidence. This theory was popularised by the disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield, who published a study in 1998 which falsely claimed that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine caused autism. This publication was later retracted by the Lancet medical journal and Wakefield was banned from practicing in Britain for being dishonest in his research. Since Trump’s first presidency, Wakefield has become a public figure, attending an inaugural ball and frequenting rallies and anti-vax events which RFK Jr has also spoken at.

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The medical profession has been quick to respond to the Trump administration's claims. In the UK, the NHS confirmed that taking paracetamol during pregnancy remains safe. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency affirmed that there is ‘no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children’ and that it remains the ‘recommended pain relief option’ for pregnant women. The Chief of Clinical Practice for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Christopher Zahn, released a statement in which he emphasised there is ‘no clear evidence that proves a direct relationship’ between autism and taking the painkiller. He emphasised the ‘multifactorial’ nature of neurodivergence, explaining that there is no single ‘cause’ of autism.

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A Swedish study from 2021 investigated the relationship between acetaminophen during pregnancy and children with autism. This study conducted sibling control analysis, using a sample of 2,480,797 children born in Sweden between 1995 and 2019. The study found that 185,909 of these children had been exposed to the painkiller during pregnancy and that its use ‘was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability.’

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The rise in autism diagnoses has instead been attributed to an increased awareness, with more research taking place and increased training of teachers and clinicians to help identify symptoms in younger children. Additionally, diagnostic criteria for autism have changed over time, broadening to encompass a wider range of characteristics. This also meant including a wider range of disorders such as Asperger Syndrome under the term of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Autism awareness and support charities have spoken out against the Trump Administration’s claims, accusing Trump of furthering a stigma around learning disabilities. The Autism Society of America expressed its concern over the unfounded claims of the White House’s discovery of causes and treatments of autism. They stated that to ‘describe an individual as being at the heart of a “horrible, horrible crisis” that is “destroying families” is not only inaccurate, it is dehumanizing and dangerous.’ This description of Autistic people removes their dignity, suggesting that their diagnosis is something to be ashamed of rather. Both Autistic children and adults face extra challenges in their day-to-day life, to describe their very existence as ‘horrible’ only furthers an outdated and inaccurate stigma, alienating Autistic individuals. The UK’s National Autistic Society also commented on the announcement, labelling the ‘incessant misinformation’ from the Trump administration as ‘dangerous, anti-science and irresponsible.’

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I spoke to Polly Kerr, a mother of an autistic child who is also a Legal Director in Education Law. She described the Trump administration’s comments as a ‘shameless and unapologetic attack’ upon people like her and her son. She posed the statement: ‘imagine growing up being told that you are “diseased.”’ No child should grow up being targeted by politicians, used as a ‘political pawn’ in an argument that forms a rallying point for anti-establishment movements or a campaign strategy to gain support from anti-vaccine groups. Kerr expressed her concern that Trump’s comments placed her child at ‘risk of harm, giving society the excuse to be dismissive and cruel.’ She is concerned that such comments from leading politicians give people reason to refuse the ‘reasonable supports, accommodations, and understanding’ that autistic people need and deserve. Rather than acknowledging autism as a ‘complex neurodevelopmental condition.’ this administration seems to be suggesting autistic people simply need to be cured rather than respected and supported.

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As well as targeting the autistic community, the Trump Administration has targeted mothers, blaming them for their child’s neurodiversity.

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Kerr opines that the comments:

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‘Portray mothers as culpable for their child’s neurodevelopment, silencing their authority and agency and, through this misinformation, shamelessly putting them at risk of harm through rhetoric amounting to pain, blame, and shame. This is an extension of the reversal of Roe v Wade, which suggests a wider political agenda aimed at restricting women’s autonomy by policing women’s choices about their bodies.’

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Women are therefore not only facing restrictions to their reproductive decisions, but also to their choices during pregnancy, holding them accountable for their child’s neurodivergence. Kerr feels that this ‘relinquishes men of responsibility and turns mothers into scapegoats.’ In right-wing politics, women are often utilised to further agendas which do not necessarily benefit them but are framed as helping them. Trump’s announcement does not help women, but services to restrict their options and blames them for benign reproductive behaviours.

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Women have been advised by the administration to ‘tough it out’ through the pain of pregnancy rather than reaching for painkillers. This comment downplays the real pain women face during pregnancy, dismissing women’s medical needs. It reinforces the idea that women should sacrifice their own comfortability and health for the sake of their child.

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This targeting of women is also a targeting of their relationship with their autistic child. Kerr stated that ‘imagine being told that your “disease” was your mum’s fault. It adds an additional emotional burden, and erodes familial trust, leaving an already vulnerable young person in turmoil and isolated.’ For many autistic children, their safe place is within their home, with their parents and family, as Kerr asserts her child’s is. This unfounded accusation against women, blaming them for “causing” autism could strain emotional bonds, leading to feelings of guilt and distrust. It shifts attention away from acceptance and towards a sense of parental betrayal.

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Kerr hopes that politicians can move forward to discuss autism in a more ‘positive and aspirational way’ in which autistic people are not an afterthought. Through her experience in law, Kerr suggests that ‘lawmakers need to actively discuss how to provide inclusive learning environments, sufficient resources, training to meet the needs of autistic people and equitable funding for special education needs.’ This means actively listening to the autistic community, rather than making decisions on its behalf with no due regard for impact.

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Trump is proud of being ‘not so careful of what [he] say[s].’ He does not care how what he says affects the vulnerable. He is more interested in political point scoring than making progressive decisions.