Trump and Kennedy Spread Misinformation About Autism and Vaccines at Press Conference

A recent press conference featuring President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has drawn sharp criticism from medical experts for promoting numerous false and misleading claims about autism and vaccines.

During the hour-long event on September 22, the pair made a series of statements that contradict established scientific consensus, leading the American Academy of Pediatrics to condemn the presentation as “filled with dangerous claims and misleading information that sends a confusing message to parents and expecting parents and does a disservice to autistic individuals.”

Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician and vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, described the event as “a fire hose of misstatements” in a CNN interview following the press conference.

Among the most prominent falsehoods, Trump significantly exaggerated historical autism prevalence rates, claiming rates had risen from 1 in 20,000 to the current CDC estimate of 1 in 31. This comparison is misleading on multiple fronts. The CDC’s estimate from 2000 was actually 1 in 150 children, not the 1 in 10,000 or 20,000 that Trump suggested was the rate “18 years ago.” Early studies from the 1960s and 1970s that used narrower definitions of autism found rates of about 1 to 5 in 10,000 children.

Kennedy dismissed as a “canard” the scientific consensus that increased autism prevalence largely stems from broadened diagnostic criteria and improved recognition. He selectively cited a 2002 report from UC Davis’ MIND Institute that was not peer-reviewed and has been criticized by scientists for drawing unwarranted conclusions.

In reality, multiple studies have found that changes in diagnostic practices account for a significant portion of the observed increase. Craig Newschaffer, a professor at Penn State University, notes there is “a very large body of informal descriptive evidence continuously reemphasizing the role of diagnostic tendency as a major driver of autism prevalence trends.”

Kennedy also falsely claimed that “full blown autism” exists only in people under 50 years of age—a statement experts describe as “patently false.” While comprehensive prevalence monitoring systems for adults with autism don’t exist, CDC researchers estimated in 2017 that the prevalence among adults was approximately 1 in 45. Many older adults with profound autism may have received different diagnoses in previous decades or were institutionalized.

Particularly concerning to public health experts were claims about vaccines. Despite extensive research refuting any link between vaccines and autism, Kennedy stated that “research on the potential link between autism and vaccines has been actively suppressed.” The 1998 study that first suggested such a connection was later found to be fraudulent and was retracted, and numerous subsequent studies have found no evidence supporting a causal relationship.

Trump made several dangerous recommendations about vaccination practices, including suggesting the hepatitis B vaccine should be delayed until children are 12 years old, falsely claiming the virus is only sexually transmitted. In reality, babies can contract hepatitis B from infected mothers during birth, and young children can be infected through non-sexual contact with infected caregivers.

The president also incorrectly claimed that mercury and aluminum in vaccines are harmful, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, was removed from childhood vaccines in 2001, and aluminum adjuvants have been repeatedly shown to be safe in extensive research.

Trump repeatedly suggested that children receive “80 different vaccines” in a single doctor’s visit—an egregious exaggeration. The childhood vaccination schedule may include up to six shots during some visits, but never approaches the number claimed by the president.

Perhaps most troubling was Trump’s recommendation that parents should “break up” the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine into separate shots, claiming “it’s practically a known fact that if you break it up, you’re not going to have a problem.” Not only is there no evidence supporting this claim, but individual versions of these vaccines are no longer available in the United States.

Medical organizations and vaccine experts continue to emphasize that the current vaccination schedule is designed to provide protection when children are most vulnerable, and that delaying vaccines provides no benefits while increasing risks of preventable diseases.