Thanks to early publicity generated by celebrities like Jenny McCarthy and public figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaxxer movement endures, seemingly impervious to ongoing efforts by scientists to debunk its underlying assumption: the idea that vaccines are linked to a rise in autism.
Today, in a meeting with educators, the President revealed he might buy into one of the biggest myths perpetuated by opponents of vaccines.
“Have you seen a big increase in the autism with the children?” Trump asked a principal who works at a special education school. When she agreed, the President launched into a spiel that suggests he agrees with anti-vaxxers' claim that there's been a huge spike in autism.
“So what’s going on with autism?” Trump continued. “When you look at the tremendous increase, it’s really such an incredible—it’s really a horrible thing to watch, the tremendous amount of increase. Do you have any idea? Maybe we can do something,” Trump said.
As New York Magazinepoints out, there's no proof of a "tremendous" jump in autism rates. And any rise is most likely due to heightened awareness, which may lead parents and educators to seek out a diagnosis of the condition.
Donald Trump has previously alarmed scientists by reportedly considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, to lead a commission on vaccines.