Dr. Mehmet Oz is backpedaling on Donald Trump’s explosive declaration that pregnant women should never use Tylenol.
The president brazenly claimed Monday that acetaminophen—the active ingredient in Tylenol—was responsible for an increase in autism among young children, and instructed pregnant women to “tough it out” and avoid the painkilling drug altogether.
But Oz, who stood behind the president while he made such stunning claims, offered a more cautious stance when asked directly.
In a Tuesday interview with TMZ, the Trump-appointed administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said pregnant women with high fevers should take Tylenol to lower their body temperature.
“If you have a high fever….the doctor’s almost certainly going to prescribe you something, Tylenol might be one of the things they give,” the celebrity doctor assured TMZ Live hosts Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere, adding: “That’s not the problem.”
He told the hosts that it “might be true” taking acetaminophen for low-grade fevers during pregnancy is safe. “We don’t know,” he said.
“Take it when it’s appropriate,” he said. “Acetaminophen’s probably your best option, but take it when you really need it.”
Meanwhile, Trump insisted on Monday: “With Tylenol, don’t take it. Don’t take it.” He also went wildly off-script and made several spurious claims about Cubans and the Amish.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Oz isn’t the only Republican scrambling to walk back some of Trump’s dangerous claims.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, whose support was pivotal to RFK Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services, has also contradicted the president—urging him and Bobby Jr. to show their work.
Writing on X, the licensed physician said: “I understand and applaud President Trump’s desire to address this issue and to support HHS. HHS should release the new data that it has to support this claim. The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case.”
I understand and applaud President Trump’s desire to address this issue and to support HHS. HHS should release the new data that it has to support this claim. The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case. The concern is that women will be left with no options to…
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) September 22, 2025
Cassidy added, “The concern is that women will be left with no options to manage pain in pregnancy. We must be compassionate to this problem.”
Acetaminophen has been the most commonly recommended pain reliever for pregnant women for decades.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said that the drug, used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain, is one of the only safe pain relievers for pregnant women.
Trump’s bombshell claims were immediately debunked on Monday by nearly every major government and health organization.
The post Dr. Oz Splits from Trump on Tylenol After Autism Tirade appeared first on The Daily Beast.
