HHS Sec. RFK Jr. Announces NIH and CMS to Begin Joint Project on Resolving Autism, Chronic Diseases
Red StateMAY 10
RFK Jr. Pushes Back Autism Research Deadline to March 2026
Above: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on May 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
RFK. Jr. is only being sensible by giving himself and his team more time to assess the root causes of autism. It will take time to conduct the necessary replication studies and additional research needed to garner insights into the condition, and, as Kennedy has already made clear, the Trump administration intends to be definitive in its conclusions. Otherwise, what would be the point?
Democratic narrative
Within a month of his announcement, RFK. Jr. is already making a hash of it, delaying his study into autism by six months. Alone, this would be bad enough were it not for Trump claiming that autism was “artificially induced” the same day. Together, Kennedy’s interview and Trump’s comments expose the administration’s unseriousness in tackling the health needs of millions of ordinary Americans.
Narrative C
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s portrayal of autism as a national tragedy rooted in preventable causes reflects a regressive and stigmatizing view the autism community has long worked to overcome. By framing autistic individuals as burdens, he misrepresents science and undermines decades of advocacy for dignity and inclusion.