Most Americans unsure about Trump Tylenol warning
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Most Americans aren't sure what to make of President Trump's claim that taking Tylenol during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism in children, but few are accepting it as fact, a new KFF poll finds.
Why it matters: There are deep partisan divisions on the question, just as there are on vaccines, the pandemic response and other health issues.
What they found: Three-quarters of the public (77%) said they had heard the claim, which was aired during a Sept. 22 news conference despite no new evidence of a causal relationship.
- Only 4% of the 1,334 adults polled said it was "definitely true" while a much larger share (35%) said the claim is "definitely false."
- 60% were unsure, divided roughly evenly between those who said it was "probably true" and others who believe it was "probably false."
- The partisan splits were significant, with 59% of Democrats saying the claim was "definitely false" compared with 12% of Republicans. Only 2% of Democrats and 3% of independents said the claim was "definitely true."
- Half of the Republican respondents said the claim was "probably true" while 30% thought it was "probably false."
Between the lines: The poll indicates eroding trust in health information from officials, with trust in the CDC under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at its lowest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Half of respondents (50%) said they have "a great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in the CDC to provide reliable information about vaccines, down from 63% in September 2023.
- Democrats' trust in the CDC slid from 88% in September 2023 to 64% in September 2025. Republicans trust, at 40% in 2023, briefly improved in April 2025 after Kennedy's appointment, but has since returned to 39%.
KFF conducted the tracking poll Sept. 23-29.
