Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, has made a lot of people very upset with his recent comments about autism.
At a recent press conference, he said many unfair and untrue things about people with autism. He claimed that they “will never pay taxes, hold a job, go on a date,” and even said they “will never play baseball” or use the bathroom on their own. He also called autism an “epidemic” and said it “destroys families.”
What Kennedy said is not just wrong—it’s outright dehumanizing.
Millions of autistic people have jobs across every sector—tech, healthcare, education, entertainment, you name it. Some are engineers. Some are artists. Some are running their own businesses. To say they “will never hold a job” is flat-out false and a slap in the face to those contributing to the economy and society every single day.
If they’re working, guess what? They’re paying taxes. And even those on disability—many of whom worked previously—paid into the system. The idea that autistic people are some kind of societal leech is offensive and wrong.
That’s just lazy stereotyping. Autism is a spectrum. Some autistic individuals need significant support; others are highly independent. Many play sports, including baseball. Many are perfectly capable of managing their own hygiene and daily tasks.
Autism Isn’t Spreading, Ignorance Is
Autism is not a disease. It’s a neurodevelopmental condition. You don’t “catch” it. It’s not spreading like a virus. And while yes, raising a neurodivergent child can be challenging—just like raising any child with unique needs—it doesn’t mean those children destroy families. That kind of language hurts both autistic people and the families who love and support them.
- A study published in the journal Critical Reflections on Employment Among Autistic Adults indicates that approximately 58% of autistic adults in their early 20s have attained paid employment outside of the home
- Autistic people thrive in roles that value focus, pattern recognition, precision, and honesty—think software engineering, data science, accounting, cybersecurity, mechanical work, design, logistics, and more.
Ignorance Isn’t Leadership and Kennedy Proves It
Kennedy is pushing 1990s-era pseudoscience and using scare tactics to score political points. His remarks are not only factually incorrect—they’re cruel, stigmatizing, and damaging. If someone in a high office is this misinformed on something as basic as autism, they have no business overseeing public health.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is peddling ignorance and dressing it up as concern. And the people he’s talking down to? They’re out here living real, full, meaningful lives while he’s still stuck in conspiracy theory land.
Kennedy Is Using Fear and Ableism to Stay Relevant
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is recycling 1990s junk science and pushing ableist trash to fearmonger and rile up his base. His comments aren’t just inaccurate—they’re dangerous, dehumanizing, and completely out of touch with modern science, lived experience, and reality.
He owes autistic people—and their families—a massive apology. But don’t hold your breath. Meanwhile, we’ll just keep speaking truth louder than his fear-mongering.
If you really want to be a leader, stop promoting conspiracy clowns and start backing the people who actually live in reality. Or don’t—and keep proving that for all the tough talk, you still fold to charlatans who sound smart to the uninformed.
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