Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina has found herself at the center of a heated national debate after publicly defending President Donald Trump’s recent claim that taking Tylenol during pregnancy causes autism—a statement that has drawn sharp rebuke from medical professionals and advocacy groups across the country.
The controversy erupted on September 25, 2025, when Mace appeared live on Newsmax, a conservative streaming news channel. During her segment, she echoed the president’s assertion, stating, “All that’s coming from the left and we have to be honest and tell the truth and I mean, I don’t know if you guys have been on social media this morning, but you’ve got pregnant women recording videos of themselves taking Tylenol — which has now been linked to autism — and they hate Trump more than they love their babies.” She went on to accuse the Democratic Party of “denying science” and insisted, “They’re denying there’s violence when they’re egging it on, and we can’t get past that until they recognize their role in it.”
Mace’s comments came just two days after President Trump, flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials, told reporters at the White House, “Taking Tylenol is not good — I’ll say it: It’s not good.” He urged expectant mothers to avoid acetaminophen altogether, repeating, “Don’t take Tylenol.” According to PolitiFact, the administration’s remarks relied on a disputed narrative that prenatal Tylenol use contributes to rising autism rates in the United States.
The pushback from the medical community was swift and unequivocal. Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement, “Today’s White House event on autism was filled with dangerous claims and misleading information that sends a confusing message to parents and expecting parents and does a disservice to autistic individuals.” Medical authorities, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, reaffirmed that acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever for pregnant women, warning that untreated fevers pose real risks—including miscarriage, birth defects, or premature birth.
On social media, the backlash against Mace was immediate and intense. Critics lambasted her for spreading unscientific and politically motivated misinformation. One user on Threads wrote, “She sounds like a colossal idiot.” Another pointed out, “Trump and RFK Junior don’t have any medical credentials whatsoever. Why on earth would anybody listen to them? Autism was discovered in 1911. Tylenol/aspirin wasn’t invented until 1955. Did they forget all of that?” Some critics accused Mace and the administration of hypocrisy, arguing that if they truly cared about autism, they would support funding for Medicaid, education, and medical research rather than “pushing propaganda.”
Adding to the confusion, a 2017 social media post from Tylenol resurfaced in the days following Trump’s remarks. The post, which stated, “We actually don’t recommend using any of our products while pregnant,” was seized upon by the White House and Trump supporters as supposed evidence for their claims. The official White House X account reposted the message, and Trump himself was pictured holding a red hat reading, “Trump was right about everything.” Rep. Mace joined in, posting, “To all Democrats with Trump Derangement Syndrome, your TDS is putting kids lives at risk. Here is @tylenol’s warning for pregnant women: Don’t use tylenol.”
However, Melissa Witt, a spokesperson for Tylenol’s parent company, Kenvue, told PolitiFact that the 2017 post was “being taken out of context.” Witt clarified, “We do not recommend pregnant women take any medication without talking to their doctor. This is consistent with the regulations and product label for acetaminophen.” Other posts from Tylenol around the same period echoed this advice, emphasizing the importance of consulting a healthcare professional before taking any medication during pregnancy.
Medical professionals and organizations have long maintained that Tylenol is the safest option for pregnant women to treat pain and fever. As Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, explained, “Maternal fever, headaches as an early sign of preeclampsia, and pain are all managed with the therapeutic use of acetaminophen, making acetaminophen essential to the people who need it. The conditions people use acetaminophen to treat during pregnancy are far more dangerous than any theoretical risks and can create severe morbidity and mortality for the pregnant person and the fetus.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responding to the renewed debate on September 22, 2025, announced it had “initiated the process” to update acetaminophen warning labels. However, the agency was careful to note, “It is important to note that while an association between acetaminophen and neurological conditions has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature.” In other words, while some research has shown an association, there is no proof that acetaminophen causes autism. Experts warn that avoiding acetaminophen altogether could actually endanger both mother and child, as untreated fevers in pregnancy are linked to birth defects and other complications.
The episode has also reignited scrutiny of Rep. Mace’s broader political style. In recent weeks, Mace spearheaded a failed resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar and publicly clashed with Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser over issues ranging from the definition of “a woman” to accusations of racism within the D.C. government. Her defense of Trump’s Tylenol-autism claims seems to have further polarized public opinion.
Some critics argue that the administration’s campaign is less about public health than about scoring political points and distracting from other controversies, such as Trump’s ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal. As one commentator put it, “All this administration does is lie, and this Tylenol autism claim is another example. They twist half baked studies with no proven link and present it as fact, while real medical experts still consider Tylenol safe when used as directed in pregnancy. It’s not about protecting babies, it’s about weaponizing fear to score political points.”
For many Americans, the uproar has sown confusion and anxiety. As sportscaster Samantha Ponder wrote on X, “Every doctor I had, for all three pregnancies, told me it’s totally fine to take Tylenol. What is going on?!”
As the debate rages on, one message remains clear from the medical community: Pregnant women should consult their healthcare providers before taking any medication, but acetaminophen remains the recommended option for managing pain and fever during pregnancy. The risks of untreated illness, experts agree, far outweigh the unproven—and hotly disputed—claims making headlines this week.
