Trump's medical advice for pregnant women is astonishing again. Reminiscent of his first term during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

Donald Trump

Trump's medical advice for pregnant women is astonishing again Reminiscent of his first term during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyone who watched US President Donald Trump's remarks on autism on Monday could recall scenes and memories associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially since the US president's theories go beyond unproven medical claims; they extend beyond these claims to his own expertise in health matters.

Trump's recent statements carried strong echoes of his response to COVID-19 during his first term, when he once considered injecting disinfectant to combat the virus. Five years later, the Republican president made claims that sparked similar astonishment.

He urged pregnant women not to take the painkiller Tylenol, noting that its risks are as high as those of vaccines.

"There's a rumor, and I don't know if it's true or not, that Cuba doesn't have Tylenol because it doesn't have the money to buy it," Trump said from the White House. "It also has virtually no autism."

Not the only time

These allegations may have been the most shocking during the hour-long press conference, but they were not the only ones.

"The Amish, for example, don't have autism at all," Trump added, referring to the community known for its horse-drawn carriages and rejection of modern technology.

Turning to vaccine-skeptic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., the president asked if this was true, he said, "Bobby wants to be very careful about what he says. I'm not very careful about what I say."

However, Trump, 79, admitted that his personal theories are just theories, even as he positioned himself as America's physician-in-chief

"It depends on how I feel," he said, reiterating long-debunked concerns about the MMR vaccine, which combines measles, mumps, and rubella.

Trump called for increased spacing between childhood vaccines, which have been a cornerstone of public health programs worldwide for decades, before adding, "I'm not a doctor, but I give my opinion."

Don't eat it

The billionaire and former reality TV star made his name by challenging conventional wisdom in politics and diplomacy, which contributed to his two presidential elections.

In the health field, his views have always been unacceptable among specialists.

During the COVID pandemic, Trump repeatedly resisted lockdowns and mask mandates while throwing his weight behind unproven drugs like hydroxychloroquine.

He was widely ridiculed when, during a White House COVID press conference in 2020, he made some bizarre suggestions for treating the disease. He suggested introducing "light into the body" and disinfectants.

"I think disinfectant kills it (the virus) in a minute," he told one expert, asking, "Is there a way we can do something like that by injection?"

During his second term, Trump's selection of Kennedy as Secretary of Health brought previously marginal ideas into the government.

The US president often expresses concern about autism. On Monday, he showed great confidence in his views on the issue, even when he struggled to pronounce "acetaminophen," or paracetamol, the active ingredient in Tylenol... and repeatedly said, "Don't take it."

He urged pregnant women suffering from pain to avoid the drug and "bear it," but offered few answers about what to do if they develop a fever that could harm them or their babies.

Returning to the topic of vaccines, Trump reiterated his theories. He emphasized that children should not be vaccinated against hepatitis B until the age of 12, rather than immediately after birth. “Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted,” he said. “There is no reason to give a newborn baby” the vaccine. The US president added that children are given “large amounts of fluid” while being vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases, repeating a longstanding anti-vaccine argument. He noted that “they pump so much stuff into these beautiful little babies, it’s disgraceful. It’s like pumping a horse.”