Poll: Most Americans reject Trump’s Tylenol-autism claim

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A new national health tracking poll from KFF finds most Americans have heard, but largely do not believe, President Donald J. Trump’s recent claim that taking Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in children.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 23-29 among 1,334 U.S. adults, took place just days after Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced what they called “bold actions” to address autism, including a warning about acetaminophen use during pregnancy.

About three-quarters (77%) of respondents said they had heard the claim. Only 4% said it is “definitely true,” while 35% said it is “definitely false.”

The vast majority (60%) were uncertain — split evenly between those who said it is “probably true” and those who said it is “probably false.”

Leading medical and scientific organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), have said there is no credible body of evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.

Still, KFF’s findings suggest the claim has gained significant visibility, reflecting what researchers called a “malleable middle” of Americans unsure how to interpret conflicting health information.

Partisan divide

Belief in the claim varies dramatically by political affiliation. Among Republicans, more than half (56%) said they think the statement is either “definitely” or “probably true,” compared with just 12% of Democrats.

Nearly six in ten Democrats (59%) said the claim is “definitely false.”

These splits echo broader divisions in public health attitudes since the COVID-19 pandemic. While only a small minority of Americans accept the President’s Tylenol warning as fact, KFF found that uncertainty, rather than outright disbelief, dominates across most demographic groups, including women of reproductive age.

Eroding trust in health authorities

The poll also documents a continued decline in public trust in federal health institutions. Just half of adults (50%) said they have “a great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide reliable vaccine information — the lowest level since the start of the pandemic.

That figure is down from 63% in September 2023, driven largely by falling confidence among Democrats and independents.

Democrats’ trust in the CDC dropped from 88% two years ago to 64% this fall, while Republican trust — which briefly rebounded after Kennedy’s appointment earlier this year — now stands at 39%.

Physicians and medical organizations, however, continue to command far higher confidence. Eight in ten respondents (83%) said they trust their own doctors for vaccine information, compared with 64% who trust the American Medical Association (AMA) and 69% of parents who trust the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Both groups were recently removed from federal vaccine advisory committees by Kennedy’s HHS.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — mixed reviews

Seven months into his tenure as HHS secretary, Kennedy receives low marks from most Americans. Only 41% said they approve of how he is handling his job — 59% disapprove.

His handling of U.S. vaccine policy fares slightly worse, with just 37% approving and 62% disapproving.

Approval is sharply partisan. Seventy-four percent of Republicans approve of Kennedy’s overall performance, compared with 35% of independents and just 13% of Democrats. The pattern extends to views of his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, which roughly mirrors support for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) base.

Vaccine policy and parental responsibility

As Florida moves to end school vaccine mandates, the KFF poll found that 70% of parents nationwide oppose eliminating such requirements. Half (48%) of Republican and Republican-leaning parents, however, said they support removing vaccine mandates in their state.

Parents are nearly split on whether vaccinating children is a matter of personal choice — a view held by 62% of Republican parents and just 26% of Democratic parents.

Even as public confidence in federal health leaders erodes, though, patients still look to their own physicians for clarity. That trust gives physicians an outsized role in cutting through confusion one conversation at a time.