Kennedy has frequently been the subject of criticism for his comments on autism, long before his time in the Trump administration.
In April, the secretary held a press conference in which he called autism a “preventable disease,” alleging there was an environmental cause for the disorder, which he referred to as an “epidemic.” Kennedy said his department would assemble top scientists to research a cause, setting a September timeline for answers.
Kennedy was excoriated for his remarks on autistic children when he said autism “destroys families” and painted a bleak picture for the future of children diagnosed with autism. Kennedy ultimately had to walk back his remarks following backlash from the families of autistic children and other advocates.
“These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date,” Kennedy said. “Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we have to recognize we are doing this to our children, and we need to put an end to it.”
Prior to his time as HHS secretary, Kennedy has cast doubt on the efficacy of vaccines and even promoted theories linking autism rates to vaccine usage.
