Outrage as RFK Jr says autistic children will 'never' go on dates or hold a job: 'Absolutely disgusting'

WASHINGTON, DC: Housing and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr caused outrage on social media over his remarks about autistic children during a press conference on Wednesday, April 16, reported the Irish Star.

Known for pushing the debunked claim that vaccinations cause autism, RFK Jr's speech comes days after he insisted during a cabinet meeting held by President Donald Trump that "by September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic, and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.” 

According to The Hill, scientists are yet to conclusively figure out what causes autism spectrum disorder, but studies have repeatedly shown that it is not connected to vaccination. Probable causes include numerous environmental, genetic, and biological factors, including an infection or contact with chemicals in the environment, problems with brain connections, and problems with metabolism. 

RFK Jr's remarks about autistic children

During the Wednesday press conference, RFK Jr made the outrageous claim that autistic children will never hold jobs, play sports, or be in relationships.

"Autism destroys families, but more importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which are our children," he said. "These are children who should not be suffering like this. These are kids who, many of them were fully functional, and regressed because of some environmental exposure (that led) to autism, and they're two years old."

"These are kids who will never pay taxes, they'll never hold a job, they'll never play baseball, they'll never write a poem. They'll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted," he continued. "And we have to recognize that we're doing this to our children."

He went on to cite a recent statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which states that about 1 in 36 children now have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, compared to about 1 in 150 in 2000.

Internet slams RFK Jr for his insensitive remarks about autistic children

Outraged netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam RFK Jr over his remark about autistic children. 

"Autistic people pay taxes. Autistic people work. Autistic people fall in love. RFK Jr just doesn’t see them as human. That’s the problem," wrote an X user.

"Is he just projecting all of his own insecurities onto autism now," asked another.

"That is NOT the reality for all autistic people. This kind of blanket statement is harmful, dehumanizing, and flat-out wrong," noted one individual.

"This (is) absolutely disgusting. He is vile," another said.

"To call this man stupid is an insult to stupid people," another wrote.

"This is cruel, ableist rhetoric masquerading as concern. RFK Jr reduces children with disabilities to economic burdens and stripped humanity. Kids are more than productivity," one netizen added.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.