At a press event that rivaled his science denying-know nothing assertion that injecting bleach in your arm would stop the Coronavirus, Donald Trump, accompanied by vaccine denying Health and Human Services Maniac-Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid head Dr. Mehmet Oz, proclaimed, without much if any scientific evidence, that acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, causes autism.
Among Mr. Trumps most outlandish and mainly false comments during his presentation were:
- "Taking Tylenol is not good — I'll say it: It's not good."
- Pregnant women should "tough it out" without taking Tylenol and only take it if they are in too feverish or suffering from much pain. Spoken from a person who will never become pregnant. According to The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, in reporting from NPR, which recommends using acetaminophen to treat fever and pain in pregnant women, says that untreated fever can cause grave harms such as miscarriage, birth defects or premature birth, especially early in a pregnancy."
- Comparing childhood vaccinations with "pumping it into a horse."
- Asserting that the Amish Community and the people in Cuba do not have autism. They do.
At the press event, it was announced also that the chemotherapy drug leucovorin label, without undergoing the due diligence scientific review, would be revised so it could be prescribed to treat autism.
Dr. Oz, according to recent reporting had a financial stake in "iHerb, a California supplement retailer that sells folinic acid, the supplement found in leucovorin."
According to Newsweek, Dr. Oz reported that "he might keep some of the stock until the company goes public or is bought."
It will be curious to see if the good Dr. sold his any of his interests to family members or had his holdings shifted into a blind trust.
Looks like Oz, like Trump, has made a financial killing from his government position.
In reporting from NPR, Tylenol maker Kenvue reacted to Trump and Kennedy's claims, issuing a statement that read:
"We believe 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 and parents."
Steven J. Fleischman, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement:
"It is highly unsettling that our federal health agencies are willing to make an announcement that will affect the health and well-being of millions of people without the backing of reliable data."
Reacting to the Trump/Kennedy trip down the science denying brick road, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said on theKTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos while responding to the radio journalists assertion that the MAGA team is "full of crap" and "insane:"
"I think number one: Autism, we're seeing more and more autism. And the fact is that people can live with autism, and there doesn't necessarily need to be a cure. And we are doing more and more with medical research for people to be able to live with autism and live productive, fulfilling lives. Number one, but number two, this is like junk science. and perhaps they're trying to distract... I don't want to ascribe motives. I don't know what the motives are, but the fact is that America is losing our place in being cutting edge and finding cures for diseases that impact everyone across the country. Cancer! Alzheimer's! So many terrible diseases that we are doing cutting edge research for and the government is cutting all the funding for this, and we're not going to be on the cutting edge anymore, and Americans will suffer for that. And that is very distressing to me."
Arizona Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan commented to Blog for Arizona:
"Trump and his administrations’ actions to link, without evidence and contrary to the recommendations of medical experts, Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism, is yet another demonstration of the anti-science approach he and his unqualified appointees take towards our health, even as they uplift unproven and quack theories. Similarly, his action to cancel a report quantifying how many people in the United States are food insecure demonstrates the Republican head-in-the-sand approach to policy. The Republican trifecta in our federal government would prefer that our American scientific expertise and leadership is degraded rather than learn that the consequences of their terrible anti-working families policies will result in unnecessary suffering among U.S. citizens – and that it’s the Republicans’ fault."
Arizona House Assistant Democratic Leader Nancy Gutierrez also commented to Blog for Arizona, writing:
“The latest medical advice from the administration is steeped in misogyny as well as dangerous rhetoric. Aside from there being absolutely no evidence about a cause Autism being linked to Tylenol, it is seemingly blaming mothers for not ‘toughing out’ their pain during pregnancy. Not only do these men know nothing about medicine, they also know nothing about being pregnant. I don’t want any mother to read this and think that their actions caused their child to be born neurodivergent. Instead, let’s support mothers and lift up these incredibly special children.”
Posting on social media, Representative Yassamin Ansari stated:
"Tylenol doesn't cause autism. Science has proven this—and we should always follow science.
We shouldn't be following guidance from RFK, Jr., who has absolutely no background in science or health care."
Representative Greg Stanton reposted this social media release from the American Psychiatric Association.
Third Way Senior Communications Director Kate deGruyter asserted:
"It’s just terrible. Parents of young kids face enough challenges—sorting out fear from facts about safe medications shouldn’t be one of them."
Democratic Political Consultant and Commentator Dr. Rachel Bitecofer issued several posts including:
"Tylenol has been on the market for like 80 years. What Trump did to pregnant women yesterday was unforgivable. And millions of mothers."
Vice President of Matters of State Strategies Matt Grodsky remarked:
"When they say Tylenol, Democrats need to be saying Epstein."
Watching science denying Trump and Kennedy along with profit driven Oz reminded me of the below music video called "Say Say Say" starring Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.
At the beginning of the video, the singers were hucksters taking money from gullible townspeople by selling them a wonder potion that would give the buyer great strength.
That is all Trump, Kennedy, and Oz were doing yesterday with their proclamation that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin can cure it.
Unfortunately, unlike McCartney and Jackson's entertaining music video, what Trump and his MAGA charlatan accessories are doing, like their cuts to Medicaid, Cancer Research, Vaccinations, Rural Healthcare, the Affordable Care Act, and Food Assistance (where the Long Termists stopped the issuing of a report highlighting how many people are
