No Proof. No Connection. Just Fear.
Trump Administration Live Updates: President Promotes Unproven Ties to Autism With a Common Painkiller and Vaccines
By: Dan Dickinson
I just watched the entire speech today, live. It was absurd. It was pointless. It was hours of political theater dressed up as medical advice. They repeated themselves, contradicted themselves, and leaned on myths that have been debunked for decades. They couldn’t pronounce acetaminophen, so they just hammered “Tylenol” ten different times. They warned pregnant women not to treat fevers, while admitting in the same breath that sometimes you need to. They bragged about rushing the COVID vaccine out in nine months but then attacked vaccines in general. They paraded two mothers on stage to paint autism as hopeless tragedy.
And after all of that noise, what did we actually learn? That there is still no evidence connecting Tylenol or vaccines to autism. Zero. None. Not a single causal study. Just cherry-picked associations and recycled fear. They even admitted it themselves: “the safety… has never been validated.”
This wasn’t science. It was reckless politics.
Personal Views, Not Science
The entire foundation of the speech was built on personal opinion, not medical fact.
“This is based on what I feel.”
“I’m not a doctor, but…”
“…the safety of acetaminophen against the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in young children has never been validated.”
Count: “I feel” or “what I feel” = 3 mentions.
They admitted right on stage that they were speaking from personal feelings, not medical expertise. They even said out loud that the science on acetaminophen has “never been validated.” That should have ended the conversation. Instead, they took the absence of proof and spun it into an excuse to keep fear alive.
Feelings don’t keep autistic kids fed, supported, or included. Feelings don’t make medicines safe or unsafe. If your lead argument is “I feel,” then you’ve already admitted you don’t have evidence.
Rushed Timelines, No Real Studies
They promised answers in months when real autism research takes years.
“…we’ll have answers in two months.”
“…there’s no harm in going quicker.”
Count: “Move quickly” / “no harm in going faster” = 5 mentions.
Here’s the problem: they openly admitted validation hasn’t been done. Then they turned around and promised to deliver answers in 60 days. That’s not science. That’s campaigning. Studies take years. Replication takes years. Ignoring that timeline shows they care more about speed than truth.
They’re not looking for answers. They’re looking for headlines. Real autism families wait years on waiting lists for evaluations and services, but somehow we’re supposed to believe politicians will “solve” autism in 60 days? It’s insulting. It tells me they’re not interested in the truth — just in speed, drama, and control.
The Tylenol Scare: Reckless Targeting
They shifted away from the generic name acetaminophen and hammered the brand name Tylenol over and over to make sure fear stuck.
“So taking Tylenol is not good, I’ll say it, it’s not good for this reason.”
“Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it. There’s no downside in not taking it.”
“Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t have your baby take Tylenol.”
“Cuba… they don’t have Tylenol and they have virtually no autism.”
“…the safety of acetaminophen against the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in young children has never been validated.”
Count: “Acetaminophen” = 2 (one mispronounced), “Tylenol” = 10, “Don’t take it” = 7, “No downside” = 4.
They admitted right there: the safety claims have “never been validated.” In other words, they have no proof. Yet they repeated “don’t take it” 7 times and “no downside” 4 times as if repetition equals evidence.
This wasn’t education. It was conditioning. Repeat the brand. Repeat the command. Make fear stick. People don’t remember “acetaminophen.” They remember Tylenol. And that’s exactly what they wanted.
And here’s the most dangerous part: they told millions of people there is “no downside” to not taking Tylenol. That is a lie. Untreated fever in pregnancy is risky. It can cause seizures, preterm labor, and even fetal brain damage. There is absolutely a downside.
If this were about real medical caution, they would have said “acetaminophen” and presented actual data. Instead, they turned the stage into a fear campaign against a brand name. This was propaganda, not science.
The Amish and Cuba Myths
They pointed to the Amish and Cuba as proof that autism doesn’t exist where people don’t take Tylenol or vaccines.
“The Amish… they have essentially no autism.”
“ADHD doesn’t exist in the Amish community.”
“Cuba doesn’t have Tylenol and has virtually no autism.”
Count: “Amish” = 5, “Cuba” = 2.
There’s no validation here either. No studies proving absence of autism. Just cultural differences in diagnosis. The Amish call it “the child’s way” and keep support in the community. Cuba has autistic kids too; they just don’t have the same diagnostic resources. Using underdiagnosis as evidence is dishonest.
They admitted they don’t have proof, but still spun myths into talking points. Autism isn’t magically prevented by being Amish or living in Cuba. Pretending otherwise is insulting to the people who live it.
Leucovorin: Oversold for Policy and Profit
They hyped up leucovorin, a prescription folate drug, as if it were a general autism treatment.
“…up to 60% of folate deficient children with ASD can have improved verbal communications if given leucovorin.”
Count: “Folate” = 6, “Leucovorin” / “Luca born” = 4.
What they didn’t say: only a small subset of autistic kids have folate receptor issues. That’s maybe 20–40%. For everyone else, leucovorin does nothing. There is no validation showing it works for the majority of autistic kids.
Yet they rushed to announce label changes so leucovorin would be Medicaid-covered nationwide. That’s policymaking before proof. It’s also a neat way to funnel millions of dollars into prescriptions based on preliminary, subgroup-only research.
And here’s the bigger problem: they presented it like a breakthrough cure. Families don’t need hype. They need AAC devices, sensory tools, inclusive classrooms, and real-world support. Rushing drugs through to score political points won’t change the daily reality autistic kids and adults live in.
Hepatitis B Delay: Dangerous Advice
They told parents to delay Hep B vaccines until age 12, as if exposure doesn’t exist until then.
“There’s no reason to give a baby Hepatitis B… wait until the baby is 12 years old.”
Count: “Wait until 12” = 2.
There’s no validation behind this advice. Hep B spreads through blood, cuts, shared razors, even playground accidents. Kids can get it. The idea that it’s safe to wait a decade was speculation, not science.
They act like you can pause biology until a child’s twelfth birthday. You can’t.
Doctor Visit Contradictions
They accused doctors of greed, then told families to schedule more visits.
“Maybe it’s the doctors, maybe they get more money [for shots].”
“Split vaccines into four or five visits.”
Count: “Break it up” / “split it out” = 6.
There was no validation for either claim — no proof that doctors profit more from current schedules, and no proof that splitting vaccines reduces risk. They admitted research exists that says otherwise, then ignored it.
Think about the contradiction: on one hand, doctors are supposedly greedy for giving shots all at once. On the other hand, parents should drag kids back four or five separate times for more appointments, more co-pays, and more Medicaid spending. Which is it? You can’t claim both. Unless the point isn’t logic — it’s drama.
Hand-Picked Science Teams
They bragged about new NIH grants — $50 million across 13 research projects.
“…Nearly 250 research teams… The NIH review chose the 13 best projects…”
Count: “Best projects” = 3.
“Best” according to who? There was no validation of criteria. They didn’t say peer review decided. They didn’t say independent review boards. They said they chose. That means controlling the outcome by funding insiders who already agree.
That isn’t independent research. That’s funding insiders who will echo the party line. Real science asks open questions. This was pay-to-play science — a way to control results before the studies even start.
COVID Vaccine Hypocrisy
They bragged about pushing out the COVID vaccine while undermining vaccine trust.
“I got a certain vaccine approved in nine months… one of the greatest things I’ve done.”
Count: “Warp speed” / “nine months” = 3.
Again, no validation. The COVID vaccine was rushed, then required boosters as effectiveness dropped. They never mentioned that. They just claimed credit for speed while using the same “rush” approach to autism policy. Speed is not validation. It’s a political talking point.
They want it both ways: credit for “warp speed” and credit for sowing doubt. That’s not science. That’s opportunism.
Autism Framed as Hopelessness
They brought in two mothers to paint autism as hopeless tragedy.
“…no one has been able to point to anything to say this is what caused it, and you can’t point to that and say it didn’t cause it.”
“…helpless… hopeless… isolating… lost my boy…”
Count: Negative framing words (“hopeless,” “helpless,” “isolating,” “lost”) = 8.
That line is the ultimate admission of no validation. They literally said, “you can’t say it caused it, and you can’t say it didn’t.” That’s the same as saying: we don’t know. But instead of accepting that, they filled the gap with pity stories and fear.
This is the script we’ve seen for decades: autism as tragedy, autistic kids as empty shells, families as victims. It’s not representation. It’s propaganda. Autism isn’t emptiness. Autistic people aren’t “lost.” Reducing us to pity props is harmful and cruel. It makes us look like problems to be solved instead of people to be supported.
Harmful Language
Throughout the speech, autistic people were described with words that strip away dignity.
“…helpless… hopeless… isolating… lost my boy…”
“…can’t discipline a child with autism… hopeless feeling…”
“…profound autism… essentially brainless…”
Count: Harm-laden terms like “hopeless,” “helpless,” and “lost” = 8 mentions.
This isn’t just sloppy language. It’s dangerous. It frames autism as emptiness, tragedy, and dysfunction — as if autistic people are broken children instead of full human beings. It feeds the stereotype that we are burdens or victims, not people with rights and value.
The worst part? They admitted they had no validation, no clear cause, no proof — but still doubled down on describing autism like a death sentence. That’s propaganda, not progress. Words matter. And these words harm autistic people and their families every single day.
The Bottom Line
This entire performance was built on:
Personal feelings instead of proof
Rushed promises instead of validated research
Contradictions about doctors and costs
Dangerous advice on Tylenol and Hep B
Myths about Amish, Cuba, and ADHD
Overselling drugs to Medicaid before validation
Hand-picking science teams to control results
Vilifying autism as tragedy to create drama
What it proves: there is still no evidence. No validation. No breakthrough. Just recycled fear and reckless advice.
If you want real autism policy, stop wasting time vilifying autistic people and start funding supports that matter — AAC devices, sensory tools, caregiver training, school accommodations, and workplace inclusion. Stop telling pregnant people to risk their lives “toughing out” fevers. Stop pretending autism is a brainless void.
This wasn’t science. It was reckless politics. And autistic people were the props.
Delivered September 22, 2025 — Trump Administration press event on autism, Washington, D.C.
