Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has received widespread criticism for his shocking comments at a press conference. He recently made some controversial remarks about children with autism. His statement referring to them as “kids who will never pay taxes” has been slammed by parents and mental health professionals all over the world.
“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, many of them will never use a toilet unassisted,” he said.
RFK Jr.’s remarks came after he announced a significant new research project aimed at figuring out why autism diagnoses are increasing in America. The Trump administration has ordered this large-scale project, which will involve several scientists conducting thorough research on the possible environmental factors that have caused a spike in the cases.
As per WGTC, the initiative is set to deliver the research results, which Kennedy calls ‘the autism epidemic,’ by September. Kennedy has been known for his conspiracy theories, which include his belief that vaccines cause autism, even though scientists have proven that this is not true.
According to RFK Jr., factors like chemicals in food, water, and even air, along with hospital ultrasound scans, could be reasons for the increase in cases. Meanwhile, scientists believe that the number of autism cases seems to have increased as the healthcare system in America has become more aware of the condition and its symptoms. Moreover, they warn that RFK Jr.’s views could confuse people and lead to more fear about vaccines.
On the other hand, Kennedy’s bizarre comments about autistic children received immense backlash on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). One user wrote, Here’s a photo of my 6-year-old autistic son playing baseball. He’s capable of anything and everything. Your words prove you know nothing about autism. Keep that ableist and hurtful shit to yourself.”
Hey @SecKennedy –
Here’s a photo of my 6-year-old autistic son playing baseball. He’s capable of anything and everything.
Your words prove you know nothing about autism. Keep that ableist and hurtful shit to yourself https://t.co/gEIHpYWbSo pic.twitter.com/Uw3QIwax6N
— Brandon Shaw (@Shawzyy) April 16, 2025
Another wrote, “This is my 31-year-old autistic son, Kelsey. He’s kinder than any republican. He works every day. Pays taxes. Spends hours a day learning. Helps others. And he is way smarter than RFK will ever be.”
As we know, autism is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, learn, and relate to others. It is mainly caused by differences in brain development.
As per sources, the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Program found that about 1 in 36 children in America has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and in another study conducted between 2009 and 2017, about 1 in 17 (17%) children in the nation have been diagnosed with some type of developmental disorder like ADHD, cerebral palsy and so on.
This is my 31 autistic son Kelsey. He’s kinder than any republican. He works every day. Pays taxes. Spends hours a day learning. Helps others. And is way smarter than RFK will ever be. https://t.co/Lln1AY1gHy pic.twitter.com/khepTkhlO4
— Rob Wood (@MediawatchNw) April 17, 2025
Consequently, this is not the first time that RFK Jr. has made a disgusting and ruthless statement about disorders. Earlier in March, he suggested that exposing oneself to natural immunity is the best way to recover from measles. Kennedy’s comments come after the news that Texas has recorded 223 cases, of which twenty-nine were hospitalised.
The CDC has urged caution among healthcare workers and people going out of town or mingling in public places. However, according to the CDC, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides 93% protection against measles after one dose and 97% protection after two doses.
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Yet, RFK Jr. wanted to stick to his radical belief that vaccines are harmful; sometimes, we feel like his words may have been influenced by the Donald Trump effect (inspired by him, all the speeches include rude, senseless, and unverified claims).
However, we all wish the health secretary would look deeper into these issues rather than stick to his age-old theories. Otherwise, he will soon have difficulty attending all the funerals that will unfortunately occur due to a lack of proper care and vaccine awareness.
