US President Donald Trump speaks during an event about autism in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC on September 22, 2025. Also pictured, L/R, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz and Dr. Dorothy Frank. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – An Autism Action Plan unveiled by former President Donald Trump has ignited a fierce debate, drawing swift condemnation from leading medical groups and prompting a wave of public defiance on social media.
At a White House event on September 22, 2025, flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump cautioned pregnant women against using acetaminophen—the active ingredient in Tylenol—citing potential associations with an increased risk of autism in children. The plan also promotes spacing out childhood vaccines, delaying the hepatitis B vaccine until age 12, and suggests leucovorin as a treatment for some autism symptoms, emphasizing environmental factors over genetic causes.
The announcement was immediately challenged by major medical organizations. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated that extensive evidence shows no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism. They emphasized that the risks of leaving pain or fever untreated are far greater than any unproven risk from the medication.
The scientific rebuttal was quickly followed by a public one. Within hours, dozens of pregnant women began posting videos on TikTok and X showing themselves taking Tylenol in direct defiance of the warnings. The videos were often captioned with affirmations of trust in their doctors and established science.
The reaction online highlighted the deep polarization surrounding the issue. Some, like commentator Riley Gaines, supported the administration’s stance, posting, “Imagine hating Trump more than you love your own child.” Conversely, others criticized the warnings, with user Olivia Krolczyk simply stating, “These people are crazy.”
The event underscores the ongoing tension between the Trump administration’s health policy initiatives and the consensus of the mainstream medical community, placing pregnant women in the center of a contentious public health debate.
