WASHIGNTON, D.C. – This week, President Donald Trump triggered a public controversy by claiming that pregnant women’s use of Tylenol could lead to an increased risk of autism, prompting lefties to pop the pill with reckless abandon and the release of a bad-natured fake meme about a dead predator.
The President’s claim, which he made during a White House briefing, drew immediate and strong condemnation from major medical organizations and the maker of Tylenol, Kenvue, who stated there is no scientific evidence to back his assertion. Speaking alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on an autism initiative, Trump repeatedly advised pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol (acetaminophen). He advised women to “fight like hell not to take it” unless they had an extremely high fever they could not “tough out”. Trump also made unsupported statements conflating the issue with vaccines and other medications, claiming there was “no downside” to following his advice.
Pushback from the medical community was immediate. Medical experts and organizations around the world largely rejected Trump’s claim, calling it irresponsible and unsubstantiated. Doctors and public health experts warned that the comments could cause needless anxiety among pregnant women and distract from other important healthcare issues.
Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, issued a strong statement disagreeing with the claims. The company cited over a decade of alleged research showing no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism. They warned that discouraging women from using Tylenol could lead them to make “dangerous choices,” such as using riskier painkillers or enduring untreated pain and fever that could harm both mother and baby.
After Kenvue’s statement, social media users began creating and sharing memes that spoofed the company’s message. Left-leaning females, some pregnant, gleefully popped Tylenol pills to spite Trump. The memes combined Kenvue’s corporate branding and messaging with the popular, unrelated internet phrase “Release the Epstein files,” which demands the release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Distraction from controversies: The meme also gained traction as a parody of a common conspiracy theory tactic. Some users perceived Trump’s autism claims as an attempt to create a “red herring” to distract from the pressure to release more of the Epstein documents.
Release the Epstein files and quit trying to find ways to cover it up.
Autism was suspected as early as 1911 and officially named in 1943. Tylenol did not become for sale until 1950.