RFK Jr. Claims People with Autism Will Never Pay Taxes or Go on a Date

In his first press conference as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. quickly found himself at the center of controversy. Appointed by former President Donald Trump, Kennedy used the platform to weigh in on a recent CDC report showing that 3% of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism—a number that has steadily risen over the past decades.
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Instead of embracing scientific advancements in diagnosis and understanding, Kennedy labeled the increase as an “epidemic” and pushed for aggressive government action to identify what he believes are environmental causes. “We need to move away from this ideology that the rising autism rates are just due to better recognition or changes in diagnostic criteria,” he said. “That’s epidemic denial.”
But what really ignited backlash were Kennedy’s disturbing remarks about what life looks like for people with autism. “These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date,” he said. “Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
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Autism advocates, experts, and families immediately called out Kennedy’s comments as harmful, outdated, and completely false. Holly Robinson Peete, whose 27-year-old son RJ is on the spectrum and works with the Los Angeles Dodgers, clapped back online. “He didn’t ‘destroy our family,’” she wrote. “He gave us purpose and unity… oh, and he pays taxes.”
Rosie O’Donnell, who has a 12-year-old autistic child named Clay, also condemned Kennedy’s words, saying he should be “ashamed of himself.”
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Experts in autism research pushed back on Kennedy’s framing of the issue. Dr. Zachary Warren, a pediatric psychiatrist at Vanderbilt, explained that autism isn’t one simple condition. “It’s a spectrum,” he said. “It’s a range of behavioral strengths and vulnerabilities. Some kids may struggle, but others thrive.”
Kennedy’s plan to have answers by September was also criticized as overly ambitious. Researchers noted that the causes of autism are complex and involve a mix of genetic and environmental factors that science is still working to understand.
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While Kennedy insists he’s trying to help families, many believe his approach spreads more harm than hope. Advocates argue that the focus should be on early diagnosis, support, and acceptance—not scare tactics and blanket statements about what autistic individuals “can’t” do.
As the firestorm continues, one thing is clear: Kennedy’s words struck a nerve. And for families living with autism every day, the damage of such rhetoric is all too real.
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