What Have RFK, Jr. And The Trump Administration Done For Mothers?

InnovationHealthcareWhat Have RFK, Jr. And The Trump Administration Done For Mothers?ByJudy Stone,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Judy Stone focuses her writing on infectious diseases.Follow AuthorMay 09, 2026, 08:00am EDTUS Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. July 30, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesAs we approach Mother’s Day, it seems appropriate to review what Kennedy and the Trump administration have done to improve women’s lives. After all, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed his Make America Healthy Again mantra.Kennedy told Katie Miller in January, “You should do your own research.” He then added, “This idea that you should trust the experts—a good mother doesn't do that.”Besides the heavy burden of guilt this lays on mothers, who are just trying to do their best, this comment lays an unreasonable expectation on moms. How are they supposed to work, cook, clean, supervise homework and tend hurt feelings, but also do sophisticated research on a variety of problems? Who has the bandwidth to do all that? As this week’s “Whopper of the Week” from Defend Public Health notes, there are many factors beyond the control of the single mom that come into play in making a decision. That’s why it does, in fact, take a village and considerable expertise to best advise parents and the public on specific decisions.Here are some of Kennedy’s notable actions:TylenolLast fall, President Trump caused a bit of a panic by falsely claiming that Tylenol use in pregnancy was linked to autism and urging women not to take it. While Kennedy was a bit more circumspect, he said the data were “very suggestive” that acetaminophen causes autism. Last month, during a Congressional hearing, he called for a recent study that did not find a link to be retracted.The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said, in response,...