Trump’s directive to RFK Jr. on vaccines and autism sparks unusual social media firestorm
President-elect Donald Trump hitting vaccine skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr. reveals will explore the debunked links between vaccines and autism, causing an avalanche of comments online.
The 78-year-old president-elect was asked during an interview outright if he wants childhood vaccines eliminated.
“If they are dangerous to the children,” he replied.
“If you look at some of the problems, if you look at what’s going on with disease and illness in our country, something is wrong.”
He made the comments during a sit-down with NBC’s Meet the Press. Host Kristen Welker asked if Trump was talking specifically about autism.
“Well, if you look at autism, go back 25 years and autism was almost non-existent. It was, you know, one in 100,000 and now it’s almost one in 100,” Trump claimed. “I mean, what’s going on? If they could find it.”
Some experts have suggested that detection has improved and greater public awareness has led to more people being screened. There are also questions about environmental factors.
But the medical community has rejected multiple studies claiming there is a link between vaccines and autism, and one study claiming to have found a link between measles and autism with the MMR vaccine was discredited years ago.
Trump said he’s “open to anything,” but “someone has to find out.”
Trump said Robert Kennedy Jr. will explore the debunked link between autism and vaccines during an interview on Meet the Press, which would set off a social media firestorm
The president-elect, looking at the numbers, claimed that “something is going on.”
‘I don’t know if they are vaccines. Maybe it’s chlorine in the water, right? You know people look at a lot of different things,” Trump said.
The president-elect claimed he wants the team to “look at everything.”
Trump’s comments sparked a flood of reactions online on both sides of the issue.
Some praised the president-elect for being open to an investigation, while others decried it as there have been numerous studies that have already debunked the link.
One X user wondered why it was so important to look at the effects of vaccines.
Another X user celebrated the move as “promises kept” and claimed Kennedy was the “right person” for it.
A third suggested it was fine as long as all the findings from the study were available.
But some pointed out that research has already been done on the link between vaccines and autism and has already been refuted.
Dr. Lucky Tran wrote on Bluesky Social that the connection had been investigated, and the doctor who promoted “junk science” had his license revoked for spreading deadly lies about vaccines.
While another user pointed out that it has been looked at ‘extensively’ and ‘repeatedly’.
Former Democratic Senator Doug Jones wrote on
Trump chose RFK Jr. last month. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He has publicly stated: ‘I truly believe autism comes from vaccines’
A study led by the World Health Organization published earlier this year found that global vaccination efforts have saved approximately 154 million lives over the past fifty years, including the lives of more than 101 million children.
Trump argued during the interview that he is “not against vaccines” and praised the polio vaccine as one of the “greatest things.”
“If someone tells me that the polio vaccine should be abolished, they will have to work very hard to convince me,” he said.
The polio vaccine is part of routine childhood immunizations in the US. It is recommended that children receive four doses, starting with the first at two months of age.
“I think some vaccines are incredible, but some may not be,” Trump continued. “And if it isn’t, we need to find out.”
Trump announced last month that he would appoint Kennedy Jr. would tap to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which has publicly stated its belief that autism stems from vaccines, despite this being debunked in the medical community.