It isn't every day that the President of the United States stands at a podium and tells the world that a household staple is dangerous. But that’s exactly what happened in late September 2025. Donald Trump, flanked by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stood in the White House and basically told pregnant women to steer clear of Tylenol. He claimed the drug was linked to autism.
Naturally, the internet went into a bit of a tailspin.
Kenvue, the company that actually owns Tylenol now (it was spun off from Johnson & Johnson back in 2023), had a massive crisis on its hands. Most people were wondering: did Tylenol respond to Trump or just go quiet? Honestly, they didn't just stay silent. They came out swinging with a response that was both corporate and deeply defensive.
The White House Announcement That Shook the Pharmacy Aisle
On September 22, 2025, Trump held a press conference that he’d been teasing for months. He called it a "historic" announcement on the causes of autism. During the event, he specifically pointed at acetaminophen—the active ingredient in Tylenol—and said it wasn't good for pregnant women or infants.
"Don't take Tylenol," Trump told the room. He said it about a dozen times.
He even suggested that the FDA would be notifying doctors immediately about an "increased risk of autism" associated with the drug. This wasn't just a casual remark; it was a direct hit on a product that has been the "gold standard" for pain relief during pregnancy for decades.
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The market reaction was swift. Kenvue’s stock price tanked by 7.5% that Monday. That is a $2.6 billion loss in market value in just a few hours. When your company loses that kind of money because of a single speech, you don't just sit there. You talk back.
How Kenvue and Tylenol Responded to the Claims
Kenvue didn't wait long. They released a statement almost immediately, and it was pretty blunt. They said they "strongly disagree" with the President’s suggestions.
Their main argument? Science.
The company pointed to years of independent research and global health regulators. They basically said the "sound science" shows no causal link between taking acetaminophen and autism. They also highlighted a massive study from Sweden involving 2.4 million children that found no connection between the drug and neurodevelopmental disorders.
The "Resurfaced Tweet" Controversy
Things got kinda weird a few days later. A tweet from 2017 started circulating among Trump supporters. In that old post, the official Tylenol account told a consumer they didn't recommend using their products while pregnant.
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People saw this as a "gotcha" moment. If Tylenol said it back then, why are they arguing with Trump now?
Kenvue had to jump in again. They explained that the eight-year-old tweet was "incomplete" and didn't reflect their full guidance. Their official stance remains that while you should always talk to a doctor first, acetaminophen is still the safest option for pain and fever during pregnancy.
Why This Matters for Your Medicine Cabinet
It’s easy to get lost in the political back-and-forth, but the medical community was actually more worried about the fallout than the politics.
Groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) were quick to push back too. They called the claims "irresponsible." Why? Because if a pregnant woman has a high fever and is too scared to take Tylenol, that fever itself can actually cause developmental issues for the baby.
Doctors are worried people will turn to riskier drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin, which are definitely known to cause issues during certain stages of pregnancy.
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The Texas Lawsuit Complication
To make matters even more complicated, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—a staunch Trump ally—filed a lawsuit against Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson in October 2025. He accused them of "deceptively marketing" Tylenol as safe for pregnant women. This moved the fight from a press conference to a courtroom.
Kenvue’s response to the lawsuit was similar to their response to Trump: they called it "misinformation" and said they would defend the product’s safety record vigorously.
Actionable Insights: What Should You Actually Do?
If you're staring at a bottle of Tylenol and wondering who to believe, here is the practical reality of where things stand:
- Talk to your OB-GYN: This is the most important step. Don't make medical decisions based on a press conference or a corporate PR statement. Your doctor knows your specific health history.
- Don't ignore fevers: Medical experts generally agree that an untreated high fever during pregnancy is a confirmed risk. If you are sick, get professional advice on how to manage it safely.
- Check the labels: The FDA’s actual "open letter" following the announcement was more cautious than Trump’s speech. It encouraged doctors to use the "lowest effective dose for the shortest duration," which has actually been the standard advice for years.
- Follow the litigation: The Texas lawsuit will likely drag on for years. It will probably involve a lot of experts arguing over the same studies. Unless new, peer-reviewed data emerges, the global medical consensus hasn't shifted away from acetaminophen as the first-line choice for pregnancy.
The situation is messy because it mixes public health with high-stakes politics. Kenvue is fighting for its brand's survival, and the administration is pushing a specific health agenda. For most people, the best move is to filter out the noise and stick to the clinical guidance provided by their own healthcare providers.