Donald Trump has reportedly urged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reduce childhood vaccine requirements, citing alleged links to autism. Multiple sources told The Wall Street Journal that Trump has frequently steered conversations with Kennedy toward this topic, even when advised by White House insiders to soften rhetoric on vaccines.
The former president is said to believe that lowering autism rates could be part of his legacy and has prioritized this issue, reportedly expressing frustration that Kennedy was not doing enough to find research supporting his long-held theories.
This push has led Kennedy to take actions such as petitioning an appeals court to expedite a decision in the administration's appeal against a federal judge's ruling. In March, Judge Brian E. Murphy blocked federal health officials from reducing the recommended number of childhood vaccines, a decision that halted Kennedy's order to end broad recommendations for vaccines including those for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, and RSV. The judge also questioned Kennedy's revamp of a key vaccine advisory committee.
Despite some of Trump's advisors reportedly urging him to moderate his stance on vaccine skepticism and related issues, such as advising pregnant women against taking Tylenol, Trump has continued to press the issue. Polls indicated that both vaccine skepticism and trust in Kennedy's advice on the matter were low, leading Kennedy and his staff to shift focus to other public health areas like food quality and the removal of food dyes, which were designated as higher-priority topics.
Department staffers and lobbyists have also suggested that Trump has been increasingly listening to Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, leading to speculation that Kennedy could be replaced after the upcoming elections. Both Kennedy and Oz have denied rumors of Kennedy's departure.
HHS Spokesperson Emily Hilliard stated to The Wall Street Journal that "Secretary Kennedy and President Trump are aligned in their commitment to confronting the chronic disease epidemic affecting America’s children through rigorous, gold-standard science." White House spokesperson Kush Desai added, "America’s skyrocketing autism rates have long been ignored if not mocked. The Trump administration is committed to leaving no stone unturned to finally address these concerns with Gold Standard Science."