Washington: President Donald Trump’s Monday press conference on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) took an unexpected detour when he mispronounced “acetaminophen,” the active ingredient in Tylenol, stealing the spotlight from the administration’s health announcement. The White House event, framed as a major update on autism prevention, instead became a viral moment highlighting the president’s struggle with the medication’s name.

Mispronunciation moment goes viral

Attempting to read from his notes, Trump stumbled over the word multiple times. “Ah-ced-uv… well, let’s see how we say that. Ascenem – enophin. Acetaminophen. Is that ok?” he asked, drawing laughter from members of the press. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor flanking him, nodded in approval after the president finally got it right.

Video clips of the gaffe quickly circulated online, garnering millions of views across X, TikTok, and Instagram. Hashtags like #TrumpPronunciation and #Acetaminophen trended nationwide, while late-night hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, mocked the moment. Supporters defended it as a minor slip, with one user on Truth Social noting, “He’s human, everyone fumbles a word sometimes.”

Claims linking acetaminophen to autism

Beyond the pronunciation struggle, Trump used the conference to assert a link between prenatal use of acetaminophen and an increased risk of autism. “Taking Tylenol is not good. I’ll say it. Don’t take Tylenol,” he warned, urging pregnant women to avoid the common painkiller.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who shares a history of controversial views on vaccines, released a 100-page report citing a review of 40 studies, 27 of which suggested that prenatal acetaminophen use might increase the risk of autism and ADHD in children by 20–30%. Kennedy clarified, “This isn’t a ban—it’s science,” recommending that acetaminophen be limited to treating high fevers during pregnancy, at the lowest possible dose and shortest duration.

Medical experts express caution

Medical professionals quickly highlighted the limitations of the claims. Dr Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia noted that the studies only show correlations and not causation, with confounding factors such as maternal fever potentially affecting results. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) labelled the administration’s announcement “irresponsible” and said it “dangerously simplifies the many and complex causes of neurologic challenges in children.”

Tylenol maker Kenvue also rejected any link to autism, warning that pregnant women avoiding the medication may have to endure dangerous fevers or resort to less safe alternatives.

Broader remarks on vaccines and pregnancy health

Trump extended his guidance to immunisations, suggesting that certain vaccines should be delayed or administered separately, despite overwhelming evidence showing no connection between vaccines and autism. “Don’t let them pump your baby up with the largest pile of stuff you’ve ever seen in your life,” he said. He exaggerated the number of vaccines given, comparing them to injections given to a horse.

He also acknowledged that his statements were based partly on personal judgement rather than fully on medical advice: “I’m just making these statements from me. I’m not making them from these doctors,” he said, though he later claimed to have consulted with multiple physicians.

Past gaffes and public scrutiny

The incident echoes Trump’s previous public misstatements, such as misnaming Yosemite National Park as “yo-Semites” and confusing St Petersburg with its Soviet-era name, Leningrad. Analysts have noted that such verbal missteps, alongside questionable health claims, have raised ongoing concerns about his cognitive sharpness and fitness for office.

Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at New York University, condemned the autism announcement, stating, “The announcement on autism was the saddest display of a lack of evidence, rumors, recycling old myths, lousy advice, outright lies, and dangerous advice I have ever witnessed by anyone in authority in the world claiming to know anything about science.”

Warnings about untreated fevers

Trump insisted there was “no downside” to following his advice, claiming avoiding Tylenol would only require mothers to “tough it out a little bit.” Yet medical authorities caution that untreated fevers, particularly during the first trimester, can increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and other complications.

The press conference ended with Trump asserting that pharmaceutical companies and some doctors had previously suppressed medical information, saying, “I’m making them out front, and I’m making them loud. And I'm making them strongly.”

(With inputs from AP)