Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in full damage-control mode after causing outrage with his controversial comments about autism during his first official press briefing as health secretary.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, attempted to dial back the controversy in a sit-down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Thursday night.
He had triggered a firestorm by claiming that people with autism—a neurodevelopmental disorder—will never play baseball, go out on dates, pay taxes, write poems, or hold down a job. He also described autism as a “preventable disease” caused by a mysterious environmental toxin.
Kennedy has long claimed a link between vaccines and autism. The Health Department’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly conducting a study examining potential links between vaccines and autism—despite the theory having been thoroughly debunked by extensive scientific research.
“You actually got emotional yesterday while talking about children suffering from [autism],” Hannity said. “You said they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never pay taxes… people mistook that. Then you said they’ll never play baseball… they’ll never go out on a date, they’ll never be able to live unassisted lives.”
Kennedy attempted to clarify that he wasn’t referring to all people with diagnosed with autism, but only to those who are “nonverbal”, meaning that they do not communicate using spoken language.
“Let me say this,” he told Hannity. “There are many kids with autism who are doing well. They’re holding down jobs, they’re getting pay checks, they’re living independently. But I was referring specifically to that 25 percent—the group that is nonverbal.”
“That was clear,” Hannity responded.
Kennedy went on to accuse the media of downplaying what he believes is an autism epidemic in the United States.
Experts say the surge in autism diagnoses is largely the result of better awareness and wider screening.
Data from the CDC this week indicated that autism rates are on the rise among young kids in the United States. The survey found autism prevalence in the U.S. increased from 1 in 36 children in 2020 to 1 in 31 in 2022. In 2018 the figure was 1 in 44.
The federal agency said this could be in part because of “increased access to identification among previously underserved groups.”
“A larger point is that the media has bought into this industry part of this mythology that you see more autism because we are noticing it more, we are better at recognizing it, or there has been changing diagnostic criteria,” Kennedy said. “There is study after study and there is scientific literature going back decades that says that is not true.”
He referred to a 2013 study to back up his views: “In fact, California legislature in 2013 asked the MIND Institute at UC Davis to look exactly at that topic—is it real or are we just noticing it more? The MIND Institute came back and said, ‘Absolutely, this is a real epidemic, this is something we have never seen before.’”
“Anybody with common sense, Sean, would notice that because the autism, this epidemic is only happening in our children. It’s not happening in people our age.”
Kennedy then claimed to have “never seen a person with full-blown autism,” acknowledging that he has to be “very careful when I say it.”
“I have seen many people with Asperger’s and on the spectrum who are my age. I’ve never seen anybody with full-blown autism. That means nonverbal, not toilet-trained—you don’t see these people walking around… because they don’t exist… or they are very, very rare. They do exist but they are so rare that I have never seen them. And I have been around intellectual disabilities my entire life,” the health secretary said.
“But in our children’s age group, they are everywhere,” he continued. “It is one in 20 boys. And California—one in 12.5 boys has autism, and 25 percent of those look like that.”
Kennedy’s remarks have caused national outrage, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) calling for Kennedy’s resignation.
“I won’t share RFK Jr.’s lies about autism. It’s disgusting and dangerous. If he had a shred of decency, he would apologize and resign,” she said on X.
“Autistic people contribute every day to our nation’s greatness. To every kid with autism, I’m in this fight all the way for you.”
The American Public Health Association (APHA) accused Kennedy in a post on X on April 9 of being a danger to the public’s health.
He “should resign or be fired,” the APHA added.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
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