Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is backtracking on a bold claim he made just weeks ago: that the U.S. would know the cause of autism by September.
During a recent CNN interview, Kennedy was pressed on comments he made on April 10 in a cabinet meeting where he said, “By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”
But this week, his tone shifted.
“We’re going to replicate some of the studies that have already been done that look like sound studies,” he said.
“We’ll know a lot from those, and then we’ll know a lot more afterward.”
When asked directly if parents should expect to know what causes autism by September, Kennedy said, “We’ll see.”
He added that the “most solid information” could take another six months.
The science community is not buying it
Experts immediately flagged Kennedy’s original claim as unrealistic.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that scientists have studied for decades.
There’s no single known cause, but it’s believed to result from a mix of genetic and environmental factors.
The World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health have all stated this.
Despite this, Kennedy, who has pushed debunked vaccine-autism theories for years, announced a sweeping initiative in early April, claiming it would involve “hundreds of scientists from around the world.”
However, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya clarified the timeline.
“We’re hoping that by September, we’ll have the call for proposals out,” he said.
It’s “hard to predict” when results will come in, but he suggested it could take about a year to see initial findings.
Critics are pouncing
Public reaction has been swift and unforgiving.
“Not surprising, seeing how researchers have been searching for a cause and a cure for decades,” one commenter posted on X.
Another wrote, “RFK Jr. promised a breakthrough on autism by September. Now he’s backing off because junk science doesn’t meet deadlines.”
Some mocked his plan to “replicate studies that have already been done,” while others said it reminded them of Donald Trump’s repeatedly delayed infrastructure plan.
“They just say stuff, there is no plan or anything. Sad,” another person added.
Autism advocates speak out
The Autism Society of America called Kennedy’s promise “harmful, misleading, and unrealistic.”
“It is neither a chronic illness nor a contagion,” the organization said in a statement.
Its president, Christopher Banks, added that focusing solely on environmental causes “perpetuates harmful stigma, jeopardizes public health, and distracts from the critical needs of the autism community.”
Adding to the controversy, Kennedy hired David Geier, a vaccine skeptic previously fined for practicing medicine without a license, to assist in the research.
As skepticism mounts and timelines shift, it’s already obvious: RFK Jr.’s September promise is falling apart, and the public isn’t letting it slide.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.