President Donald Trump just announced sweeping changes to his administration’s approach to autism. But in a room full of medical experts and reporters, he opened with a gaffe — telling them that acetaminophen is actually Tylenol, something most people already know.
Trump often uses phrases like “many people are saying” or “many people don’t know” when he’s really just talking about himself. In this case, however, acetaminophen is clearly written across the boxes of brands that carry the medicine, such as Panadol or Tylenol, as a basic over-the-counter painkiller. But the POTUS announced the detail as if he was the only one genius enough to discover it and had to come to the aid of the lesser folk. Some online even satirized Trump’s remark, joking that he might next announce H₂O is actually water.
H2O is basically water
— TonyWrong (@Tony79thST) September 22, 2025
Still, much more important matters were at stake during the press conference, which Trump bizarrely teased at a funeral. He claimed that pregnant women who take Tylenol increase their chances of having a child with autism. These claims remain unverified, but he also said his administration would ensure children with autism are prescribed leucovorin. While some scientists have noted positive results, the Trump administration may have undercut themselves long before this sudden shift.
.@DrOzCMS: “@US_FDA, based on @NIH research, is approving prescription leucovorin for treatment of autistic children.” pic.twitter.com/pWLE97rP9M
— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) September 22, 2025
According to The Conversation, leucovorin is a form of Vitamin B usually derived from legumes, citrus fruits, and grains. The drug is most notably used in chemotherapy to stop cancer cells from advancing by interfering with DNA synthesis and cell division. The working theory here is that children with autism may have an unexplored link to cerebral folate deficiency. Leucovorin provides an active form of folate that helps healthy cells make DNA.
The key question remains: does that mean leucovorin is effective for autism? The Trump administration says research indicates yes. The research in question, conducted in 2021 by Dr. Richard E. Frye, found that autism symptoms generally improved with the drug. Successive trials produced similar results, but the doctors involved admitted more studies were needed before making a proper recommendation. Current side effects include seizures, nausea, and vomiting. Researchers are still seeking donations through the Autism Discovery & Treatment Foundation to continue their work.
Trump is well known for making premature announcements, so that part of the press conference wasn’t unusual. But he made these statements flanked by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has both overseen cuts to medical research and courted fringe communities promoting bleach as an alternative “medical” solution for autism — making the scene all the more sinister.
The Trump administration often makes announcements hoping for the best outcome rather than doing due diligence before presenting them to the public. RFK Jr., meanwhile, has been branded dangerous by members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for his incessant habit of creating panic by declaring certain drugs harmful. Unfortunately, this press conference was a cocktail of both men’s worst tendencies — Trump’s need for cameras and RFK Jr.’s love for conspiracies.
Now scientists and doctors will have to work backwards to explain to Americans which statements were fact and which were fiction — though it seems improbable that if they contradict what MAHA and MAGA are claiming, they’ll actually be believed by those respective bases.
