“It Can Only Good Happen”: The Trump Administration’s War on Acetaminophen

September 30th, 2025
Jana Schodzinski

On Monday, September 22, President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced the “big news” in autism they had been teasing for weeks: allegedly, Tylenol usage during pregnancy and infancy is the main cause of spikes in autism diagnoses. At a press conference full of some of the most esteemed faces in American healthcare, the two said that physicians will now advise against the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy. Immediately following this announcement, officials flocked to the media to point to the tens of studies that insinuate that acetaminophen usage has no connection to the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Even Tylenol-maker Kenvue disputed these claims, saying, “...independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned about the health risks and confusion this poses for expecting mothers.” Regardless of whether or not the over-the-counter pain reliever is truly connected to the development of ASD, this claim alone sets the standard for how ASD, acetaminophen and general use of pain-relief medications during pregnancy will be viewed for years to come.

Even before being chosen to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services, a major part of RFK’s platform was and is ASD prevention, namely through looking for potential causes of the disorder and how to treat it when diagnosed. Most notably, RFK is a staunch believer that vaccines are the leading cause of autism and that parents should limit the number of vaccines their children receive as much as possible. Kennedy’s announcement against acetaminophen isn’t the first time his takes have garnered public concern: in his first network television interview since becoming secretary, he told CBS, “the government should not be mandating [the measles vaccine]”. Weeks later, Texas experienced a measles outbreak of roughly 500 citizens, with professionals claiming that vaccinations could have fully prevented the outbreak. He’s even recorded as stating that he doesn’t “think people should be taking advice--medical advice--from me.” Despite this, Kennedy’s claims, no matter how controversial, do have real-world consequences.

Just as the Trump administration’s lax vaccine-mandates led to measles outbreaks, RFK’s claims against Tylenol are already catalyzing. On September 22, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, began the process of changing the labeling of over-the-counter drugs that contain acetaminophen as an active ingredient. The new label will warn that the drug may cause ASD and ADHD in children whose mothers consumed it during pregnancy. This disregards the fact that drugs containing acetaminophen are one of the- if not the only safe and easily accessible methods of pain relief during pregnancy. Steven Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, said in a statement on September 23, “in more than two decades of research…not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children.” Though no strides have been made to fully ban the drug for any dynamic of Americans, this is infringing on women’s wellbeing, especially as the Trump administration is not providing any alternative methods of pain relief that they deem safe.

During the press conference, Trump and Kennedy additionally advised the use of leucovorin for cerebral folate deficiency, which will now be labeled by the FDA as the first- and only- ASD treatment pathway. State Medicaid programs will now be able to cover it, despite there not being any substantial research in support of its validity. In the future, these changes will likely evolve to matters outside of FDA classification. In the meantime, RFK plans to continue evaluating potential causes of the “autism epidemic.”

Extemp Analysis by: Jana Schodzinski

Question: Will potential restrictions on acetaminophen reduce the spike in autism diagnoses?

AGD: A humorous AGD is best fitting for this question, especially considering the comic-goldmine of Trump and Kennedy quotes on the matter. Look at transcripts from the initial press conference in which they first waged this “war on tylenol”- both the President and Health Secretary had great moments to capitalize on.

Background: It is necessary for your audience to understand RFK and his general stance on autism, before and after taking office. From vaccines to Tylenol, his efforts to reduce the rise in ASD diagnoses are far from surprising.

Answer: Obviously, answers will vary per extemper, but one may look something along these lines:

No, because acetaminophen has no role in ASD development.

3 Points:

Studies done have no concrete evidence in support of these claims
Pain and fever, left untreated, pose threats during pregnancy themselves
Other environmental factors

Concluding Thoughts: As this question is evaluative, a traditional expectation/verification/violation substructure works best. As RFK continues to act against acetaminophen and vaccination, keep up with current events to see what actions are done next. Happy extemping!