RFK Jr. Appears to Soften Trump’s Warnings About Tylenol and Pregnancy

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that there is not yet “sufficient” evidence to prove that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy causes autism, seemingly easing up on the Trump administration’s more forceful warnings about the popular pain reliever.

“We’ve all said from the beginning that the causative association between Tylenol given in pregnancy and the perinatal periods is not sufficient to say it definitely caused autism, but it is very suggestive,” Kennedy said at a press conference this week.

Kennedy, along with President Donald Trump, has gone on an anti-Tylenol tour in recent weeks, following a press conference in September where Kennedy warned pregnant women to consult with their doctors before taking the medication.

Trump, during the same press conference, took things a step further, advising women to avoid the drug entirely and to “tough it out” rather than take pain relievers during pregnancy.

“Taking Tylenol is not good,” Trump said. “Don’t take it.”

He even acknowledged that he was going further than his health secretary, saying: “Bobby wants to be very careful with what he says, and he should, but I’m not so careful with what I say.”

When asked by USA Today if the comments reflected a change in the administration’s opinion on the matter, HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard said it was “the same position the Secretary has had since the beginning.”

Earlier this week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against Tylenol’s pharmaceutical producers Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, alleging that they deceptively marketed their product for pregnant women knowing its risks.

“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks,” Paxton said in a statement Tuesday. “These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets … By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”

Kenvue defended its product in a statement to ABC News this week, saying it was “deeply disturbed” by the Trump administration’s “perpetuation of misinformation.”

“Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy,” read a Tuesday statement. “Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives. High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated.”

Kennedy has also alleged ties between autism and circumcision, while offering little scientific evidence for the claims.