Good evening. President Donald Trump just concluded a wide-ranging press conference in which he promoted a string of unsubstantiated, medically unsupported claims about vaccines and the use of Tylenol during pregnancy — remarks that alarmed health professionals and fly in the face of established science. This follows the afternoon update I sent a few hours ago about Jimmy Kimmel and other breaking news.
Before I share clips from the press conference, I want to be crystal clear about Kimmel: you raised your voices and he’s back on the air because you wouldn’t be silent. Keep speaking up. Don’t let them drown out truth or bully you into silence.
On a personal note: your support keeps this channel independent and allows me to keep calling out dangerous misinformation when I see it. Your subscriptions matter more than you know— thank you for standing with me.
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Now, let’s get into this press conference:
Tylenol and Pregnancy
Struggling at times to pronounce acetaminophen—the active ingredient in Tylenol—Trump warned against its use in pregnancy without citing credible research.
“Asceda -- well, let’s see how we say that. Ascenem -- enophin. Acetaminophen. Is that okay?” the president said.
Taking Tylenol is, uh, not good. I’ll say it. It’s not good … I think it has—I think it’s very bad.”
He urged pregnant women to “fight like hell not to take it,” despite longstanding medical guidance that acetaminophen is considered safe for use in pregnancy when taken as directed.
Suggesting Links to Autism
Trump also speculated—without evidence—that Tylenol and vaccines might be linked to autism.
“I think I can say there are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills that have no autism. Does that tell you something? Is that a correct statement, by the way?”
Extensive scientific research has found no causal connection between vaccines or acetaminophen and autism. Health authorities such as the CDC and WHO have repeatedly emphasized the safety of both.
Renewed Vaccine Conspiracies
The president further revisited familiar talking points about childhood vaccinations, suggesting that infants receive “too many” at once.
“You have a little child, a little fragile child, and you get a vat of 80 different vaccines, I guess. 80 different blends. And they pump it in.”
He claimed that the MMR vaccine “should be taken separately” and argued that Hepatitis B vaccination should be delayed until adolescence.
“Hepatitis B again, that’s sexually transmitted, and I think you should wait until 12,” Trump said. “You know, I’m making these statements from me. I’m not making them from these doctors … I talk about a lot of common sense.”
Medical Community Response
Trump’s comments stand in stark contrast to medical consensus. Pediatric and obstetric experts warn that discouraging Tylenol use or childhood vaccination without scientific basis risks confusing families and undermining public health.
For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists put out a statement shortly after the press conference saying that suggestions that Tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism are “irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients.”
“Today’s announcement by HHS is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence and dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children,” Dr. Steven Fleischman 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.”
When asked on that, Trump said “That’s the establishment. They’re funded by lots of different groups. And you know what? Maybe they’re right.”
Vaccines remain one of the most effective tools for preventing serious illness and death, while acetaminophen continues to be widely recommended as a safe treatment for pain and fever, including during pregnancy.