Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a career out of chasing conspiracy theories and cashing in on public health panic. Now, as Health and Human Services Secretary, he’s at it again, this time pushing a claim that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism, despite no clear scientific evidence to back it up.
RFK Jr. is expected to cite a recent study on the issue that even its authors admitted to the New York Times that they “cannot answer the question about causation.” Experts have repeatedly said there’s no proven link between Tylenol and autism, and any connection seen in studies could be due to other factors.
“This isn’t about science or public safety, it’s about RFK Jr. chasing the next conspiracy to keep himself relevant. He’s spent years building his brand and his bank account on public health conspiracy theories, and now he sees it as his pathway to more power and profits,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “He’s desperate to prescribe a cause, even if the science says otherwise, because fear has always been his business model. Families deserve facts to make the best decisions about their health, not another RFK Jr. conspiracy theory dressed up as public health policy.”
Instead of listening to the experts, Kennedy is recycling his greatest hits: stoking fear, ignoring evidence, and putting conspiracy over science.
It’s not the first time he’s pushed debunked public health conspiracy theories or stood to personally gain from spreading medical misinformation:
- An exclusive analysis released by American Bridge 21st Century found the MAHA report, in an apparent effort to cast doubt on the safety of vaccines, misrepresented several sources it cited.
- RFK Jr.’s MAHA report flopped on publication after the conspiracy-inspired document was exposed for stretching the limits of science, misinterpreting scientific findings, and completely making up citations for scientific studies that don’t exist.
- During recent testimony to the Senate Finance Committee, RFK Jr. doubled down on false, right-wing claims that data on Mifepristone was “twisted,” while citing a flawed study that questioned the safety of the medicine – a sign that RFK Jr. is looking for ways to justify a Mifepristone ban and further restrict abortion rights for millions of women nationwide.
- RFK Jr. exploited the COVID pandemic to spread misinformation to an anti-vaccine movement that politicized life-saving health measures. Meanwhile, donations to his tax-exempt group, Children’s Health Defense, skyrocketed as revenue doubled in 2020 to nearly $7 million, and his annual salary jumped from $40,000 in 2016 to over $500,000 in 2022.
- RFK Jr. reported more than $8.8 million in payments from the law firm Kennedy & Madonna, which sued the very public health agencies he now leads.
Published: Sep 22, 2025 | Last Modified: Sep 29, 2025