Former President Barack Obama has called out President Donald Trump over his false claims about Tylenol causing autism in children. Obama made these comments during a speaking event at London’s O2 Arena on Wednesday, where he talked with historian David Olusoga in front of 14,000 people.
Earlier this week, Trump said the Food and Drug Administration would tell doctors that Tylenol, also called acetaminophen, causes a “very increased risk of autism” when pregnant women take it. The president told people over and over again to avoid the medicine, saying “Don’t take Tylenol” and “Fight like hell not to take it” during a White House meeting.
According to MSNBC, Obama hit back at these statements, saying “We have the spectacle of my successor in the Oval Office making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproved.” He called Trump’s announcements “violence against the truth” and warned that spreading this kind of wrong information could hurt people.
Medical experts say Trump is wrong
The former president talked about how these claims could damage public health. Obama said statements like this make parents of autistic children worry for no reason and might stop pregnant women from taking medicine they need. He also said that most of the rise in autism cases comes from doctors getting better at spotting it, which helps more people get the support they need.
Doctors and health groups around the world have said Trump is wrong. A big study from Sweden in 2024 looked at 2.5 million children over 20 years and found no connection between taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and autism. The researchers even looked at brothers and sisters in the same family to make sure, and any link they thought they saw went away.
Health groups from other countries have also said the Trump administration is wrong. Scientists say autism has many different causes and there is not enough proof to link it to Tylenol. Doctors warn that not treating fevers during pregnancy can be really dangerous and could cause miscarriage, birth problems, and high blood pressure.
Obama has been speaking out more against Trump’s second term. All through 2025, the former president has called out different things the Trump administration has done, like attacking universities, threatening the rule of law, and pushing America toward a system where one person has too much power. While Obama usually stays quiet about his successor, he has said he will speak up when important American values are in danger.
Trump has made health claims before that doctors say go against real science. The president works closely with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has talked against vaccines and made other claims about autism that experts say are not true.
Published: Sep 26, 2025 08:10 am