In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.
A number of posts discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion.
Another leading anti-vaxxer is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He has repeatedly compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. Rolling Stone and Salon retracted an RFK article linking vaccines to autism. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.
The autism message will dovetail with broader MAHA efforts to mobilize voters ahead of the midterm elections, including multimillion-dollar ad buys and deploying Kennedy across the country to sell his agenda.But it's not without risk, because tying autism to vaccination has its limits, said Gordon Hensley, a former HHS senior adviser in the first Trump Administration and a GOP campaign strategist. Hensley believes White House staffers are "likely a lot happier seeing Secretary Kennedy talking about the fundamental MAHA precepts of chronic disease prevention, reforming the food supply and the like, as opposed to fomenting CDC infighting and vaccination chaos."
A Quinnipiac University poll late last month showed Kennedy's approval ratings are dwindling, with 33% saying they approve of the way Kennedy is handling the job, compared with 38% when they polled voters in June. A majority of voters (57%) said they don't have confidence in the medical information Kennedy cites, the poll found. Kennedy's contentious testimony in front of Congress and upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "may have struck a nerve with voters who were less familiar with where he stood on the issues," Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy said. Republicans in Congress have responded to the autism messaging with caution. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) warned against weakly supported health claims, and Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) criticized the claims.
