White House Drafts Executive Order Linking Vaccines to Autism, Because Science Is for Losers
Trump's White House is drafting an executive order to 'investigate' a vaccine-autism link that science has thoroughly demolished - because why let facts get in the way of a good grift?
The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order on the long-debunked link between vaccines and autism, according to The Washington Post and Bloomberg, both citing unnamed sources. The order, still subject to change, could drop as soon as next week, and reportedly targets the childhood vaccine schedule, autism research, and parental choice.
This comes despite dozens of high-quality studies involving millions of children worldwide consistently finding no link. The original claim stems from a fraudulent, retracted study whose author lost his medical license. Leading medical groups, scientists, and autism advocates have all told the administration to knock it off, and most voters think it's a bad idea. Analysts have even called it "politically risky."
But apparently, this is personal for the president. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a notorious anti-vaccine crusader, has been pushing this nonsense for years, though he's recently gone quiet on the topic - probably because it's political poison. Reports suggest the push is coming directly from Trump, who allegedly wants to be remembered as the president who cured autism by scaling back vaccines. He's reportedly chewed out Kennedy multiple times for not doing enough on the issue.
Kennedy confirmed these reports in a combative CNN interview on August 2, where he also made a barrage of false claims. Meanwhile, White House spokesman Kush Desai insists the administration will use "gold standard science" to ensure the US has the "best childhood vaccine schedule in the world." At a Cabinet meeting last week, Trump asked Kennedy about progress on autism research, and Kennedy promised, "We will have an answer for you."
We can't wait to hear it. We're sure it'll be totally based on evidence and not at all a conspiracy theory cooked up by a guy who thinks Wi-Fi causes everything.
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