Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently held what many have deemed an unhinged press conference during which they falsely identified Tylenol use during pregnancy as the cause of autism.

Salon columnist Amanda Marcotte slammed the “two science-haters” for essentially calling women “lazy, spoiled brats who need to be disciplined by two men who have faced accusations of chronic adultery and sexual assault.”

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Marcotte called the press conference a “political disaster” and indicative of Kennedy’s “special vendetta against the bodily autonomy of women, especially pregnant women.”

The attention the announcement got, she wrote, also made it easier for the public to understand “how Trump and Kennedy view women with contempt.”

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Trump’s assertion that women should simply “tough it out” and avoid Tylenol unless absolutely necessary aligns with the GOP’s overall quest to control women’s bodies, Marcotte writes, accusing Kennedy of “trying to rebrand misogyny as feminism through trolling and feigning ‘concern’ for women and children’s safety,” which she says is also common tactic in the anti-abortion movement.

“The Christian right used fake science — and even faker ‘concern’ for women — to restrict access to abortion, and then used those lies to end abortion rights altogether,” she explained. “Kennedy has now adopted the same techniques not only for his anti-vaccine crusade, but also to attack health care that is vital for pregnant women.”

Marcotte also slammed famed podcaster and Trump supporter Joe Rogan – who regularly spreads medical misinformation – for expressing anger that pregnant women are rebelling against the anti-Tylenol claims and posting videos of themselves taking the medication.

“Rogan is angry that they won’t obey the dictates of Daddy Trump,” Marcotte wrote, saying his tirade shows “that this Tylenol obsession is not about science, but about men who are obsessed with controlling women.”

Rogan, she said, is “distorting the facts in his knee-jerk hostility to liberal women.” She explained that some studies suggest prolonged use of Tylenol during pregnancy could be problematic.

“But the actual medical establishment — which understands science better than a third-rate comedian, a brain worm-sporting nepo baby, and a guy who doesn’t realize why bleach injections are dangerous — believes that the conditions treated by acetaminophen are far more dangerous to mom and baby than the hypothetical effects claimed by Kennedy.”

In his role, Kennedy has also called into question the safety of pregnant people taking antidepressants known as SSRIs, despite the fact that most have been proven safe to take during pregnancy and that untreated depression in pregnant women can be far more dangerous than the medications.

“The pointless rules and policing of pregnancy from Kennedy come hand-in-hand with Republican efforts to make sure women can’t say no to childbirth,” Marcotte warned, explaining that the abortion pill is also in jeopardy because Kennedy has “concerns” about the medication used in the pill, Mifepristone, despite the fact that it is a safer and less painful method of abortion.

“There’s a theme here,” Marcotte concluded, “Kennedy is suspicious of medication that safely relieves women’s pain.”

Kennedy – a conspiracy theorist who has no background in medical science – has been a prominent voice in the anti-vaccine movement, which is based on pseudoscience and uses misinformation to spread the belief that vaccines don’t prevent disease. He formerly chaired the Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization that claims that vaccines cause autism, ADHD, food allergies, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

Kennedy has also been spearheading the elimination of HIV and AIDS related programs; believes autism “destroys” children and families; and did nothing to stop the end of a federal crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. Nevertheless, he has positioned himself as a staunch defender of children’s health.

He has made several wild and unsubstantiated claims since assuming his role, such as that one of the consequences of food dyes is “an American teenager [today] has less testosterone than a 68-year-old man.”

He also recently claimed he knew American kids are struggling because he assesses them at airports and can tell they have “mitochondrial challenges,” a nonsensical phrase.

In early September, a group of nine former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came together to condemn Kennedy for his “unacceptable” tenure that “should alarm every American.”

They urged the American people and our representatives to “rally to protect” the country’s health.

“Congress must exercise its oversight authority over Health and Human Services. State and local governments must fill funding gaps where they can. Philanthropy and the private sector must step up their community investments. Medical groups must continue to stand up for science and truth. Physicians must continue to support their patients with sound guidance and empathy.”

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