Politics
Shocking Answers: How the Trump Administration Scared People About Autism
Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Ronald F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to find the ‘cause’ of autism. On Monday, September 22, 2025, the administration announced a link between autism and the use of the pain reliever acetaminophen during pregnancy.
“Don’t take Tylenol,” the president said at a press conference at the White House, claiming that “there is no downside.”
This claim follows Trump and RFK Jr. ‘s long espoused idea that an artificial external factor, such as vaccines or the environment, is responsible for increasing autism diagnoses. Researchers and medical evidence do not back these theories.
The Independent’s Washington Bureau Chief Eric Garcia, who was diagnosed with autism in the 1990s and has been travelling around the country for years interviewing autistic people about their experiences, held a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forum to answer your questions about autism and the administration’s fear-mongering:
Q: Simple question… I know I’m not the first to think of it… Did autism exist before tylenol? Just checking.
EG: Yes. The first major study on autism in the US came out in 1944 by a researcher named Leo Kanner, years before Tylenol came out on the market. Autism has likely been with us as long as there have been human beings. Some people suspect that people like Lord Cavendish might have been. Others say Mozart or Jefferson. I’ve never been in the business of speculating who is autistic and who isn’t (though in my day job, I often suspect certain elected officials or members of presidential administrations are). But the point is, autism has always been with us.
Q: What are your thoughts about the fact that neurodivergent people are more often chronically in pain, therefore they take Tylenol more often, and then have children and pass on those genetics, through no fault of Tylenol.
EG: This is actually a great question. One of my close friends, who is autistic and is a mom, dealt with hypermobility, and she mentioned how Tylenol can be one of the few sources of pain relief. Hypermobility has a hormonal component, and stigmatizing acetaminophen might make matters worse.
Q: As a journalist, what aspects of the job are hardest for you as an autistic person? Which aspects are naturally stronger for you?
EG: The hardest one is that I struggle with social cues and interactions. So I know I will probably never be good at talking to sources on deep background or anything. I also don’t drive because of sensory overload. However, I am a sucker for going down a document rabbit hole. I love going through campaign finance documents or court rulings. And I am also good at being a jerk in a press gaggle or press conference and asking a really blunt question and not caring about the social ramifications.
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Q: Hi. I’m an autistic woman and find this political climate very hostile. When Trump/RFK Jr talk about autism, do you think they are referring to the entire spectrum? Is their issue with the support needs of disabled people, the suffering of the people themselves, or the actual autistic traits?
EG: A lot of it is a willful misreading of the data. Even the CDC, which is under Kennedy’s purview, released its biennial report saying improved screening and diagnoses led to increased cases. A lot of it generally goes to fearmongering and conspiracy theories. Trump came to it the same way he’s come to many of his other conspiracy theories. RFK Jr. came to it through his environmental activism. The problem is that they now have access to all of these incredible scientists and continue to disregard the facts. The unfortunate thing is that Trump and Kennedy both have incredible megaphones, and they have diehard followers who would be receptive to whatever they say. We’ve seen how Republicans changed their views on the economy and foreign policy to go with whatever Trump said. The same could be true if he followed the science on autism and vaccines. Ironically, by nominating Kennedy, Trump has undermined the biggest accomplishment during his first presidency: The rapid rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Q: I wanted to get your perspective on whether or not autism will remain conceptualized in the DSM as a broad spectrum or if we will return to narrower diagnoses.
EG: Great question. It’s important to remember that the government doesn’t create these labels but rather the American Psychiatric Association. There is a lot of push to relabel autistic people who were once known as having “classic autism” or “low-functioning autism” as having “profound autism” and returning the label of “Asperger’s syndrome” (despite Hans Asperger’s collaboration with the Nazi regime in Austria). I tend to worry about separating them because calling something “profound” tends to set low expectations or adds more stigma that autism is a disease or that they can never accomplish much. But autistic people with high support needs still have incredible value as human beings. In addition, many people we consider “profoundly autistic” can and have gone to college, write and publish poetry or make art. I fear calling them “profound” or “severely” autistic will automatically stick people with how we perceive them rather than what they need to thrive. And this is not to diminish their needs. To the contrary. Having those labels like “high support needs” or “autistic person with intellectual disabilities” helps us determine what supports would best help someone.
Q: Genuine question: If Biden were the POTUS and had said the same thing about Tylenol and autism, would you have slammed him just as hard, or praised him?
EG: No question! I wrote plenty of negative stories about the Biden administration and its mismanagement of Covid, such as when his CDC director Rochelle Walensky said that Covid-19 deaths among people who were vaccinated were “people who were unwell to begin with.” I gave the Biden team hell for saying inflation was “transitory” when it was clear prices were going up. I also wrote about how Biden’s age was going to be an issue in the 2024 election before the debate, and his campaign needed to be upfront about it and not cavalier. I criticized Biden in my book for not releasing a disability policy in the 2020 campaign until he won the Democratic nomination for president (fun fact: Kamala Harris released the first disability policy in that primary, and I criticized her too).
Q: I have two young kids with ASD diagnoses, and I am deeply disturbed and scared, and trying to figure out how to navigate this environment. What are your thoughts on supporting children in this moment?
EG: I’ll say what I’ve always said, which is that autistic people need your love, especially now more than ever. That love will power you to build a better world and fight for accommodations, and make it easier for the next people who come after you. Love and acceptance are contagious, and they set an example.
Q: How are you taking care of yourself as an autistic man covering all this nonsense?
EG: Ha! I talked about this with my mom on Sunday before all this, and I said that covering this actually gives me a sense of purpose. When I am covering the normal politics of the day, I am chasing the same stories everyone else is. But when I cover autism, I have been writing about it for a decade and focused on including autistic voices, so it gives me a strong sense of direction I probably otherwise wouldn’t have amid the Trump chaos.
This has been edited for length and clarity.
An airplane carrying Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was forced to make an emergency landing in the UK Wednesday due to a crack in its windshield, officials said.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on social media that on the way back to the U.S. after NATO’s Defense Minister meeting in Belgium, the plane made an “unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom” because of a crack in the aircraft’s windshield.
The plane landed based on standard procedures, and all of the passengers on board, including Hegseth, were safe, Parnell added.
“All good. Thank God,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Continue mission!”
Hegseth was traveling in a C-32A, a modified Boeing 757 used by the Air Force for VIP transport. Other top leaders, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and occasionally, even President Donald Trump, use the aircraft when visiting airports with runways too short for the modified Boeing-747 Trump typically uses as Air Force One.
It was unclear what caused the crack in the plane’s windshield.
Flight tracking data showed that the plane took off from Brussels and made it past Ireland before turning around to land at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in England at 7:07 p.m. local time. It was not known what time the plane initially took off.
Hegseth and previous Secretaries of Defence have traditionally used a different aircraft for foreign travel, the Boeing E-4B.
The Boeing E-4B is a modified Boeing-747 that has been hardened for use as an airborne command post by the president or Pentagon leadership during nuclear conflicts. It is known within the Air Force as “Air Force One when it counts” and the “Doomsday plane.”
It was not immediately clear why Hegseth was traveling on the smaller, C-32 plane.
The C-32, which had to perform an emergency landing, has less capabilities than the E-4B, but is decked out with a more luxurious interior thanks to upgrades made during Trump’s first term as president.
During his time in Brussels, Hegseth warned the U.S. would “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” if the war in Ukraine does not come to an end.
“If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do,” Hegseth said at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of Kyiv’s allies at NATO headquarters.
Hegseth did not elaborate. His comments came as Trump’s administration is considering a request by Ukraine for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Earlier this year, an Air Force plane carrying Rubio to Munich was forced to return to Washington after experiencing a mechanical problem.
The trade war between China and the US intensified this week with both nations imposing new port fees on each other’s ships.
The latest escalation in tensions between the world’s two largest economies sent bilateral relations, and the markets, into a tailspin.
After Beijing announced stricter restrictions on rare earth exports – in retaliation for the US dramatically expanding sanctions on Chinese firms – president Donald Trump threatened 100 per cent tariffs and new curbs on “all critical software”.
Trade analysts suspect that Mr Trump’s threatened three-digit tariff will heighten market uncertainty in the near term, especially in sectors with strong supply chain exposure to China like manufacturing and technology.
Rare earths, vital for use in electric vehicles, aircraft engines, military radars and a range of everyday electronics, are a key sticking point in negotiations between the sparring nations.
China produces almost 70 per cent and processes nearly 90 per cent of the world’s rare earth elements.
The Chinese announcement was an apparent surprise to Mr Trump, who called it an “out of the blue” move. But, over the weekend, he sounded more conciliatory than in the past, although he still refused to withdraw the tariff threat.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!”
China seems unfazed by Mr Trump’s threats and its export boom suggests Beijing may be gaining the upper hand in the trade war.
“China’s position is consistent. If there’s a fight, we will fight to the end; if there’s a talk, the door is open,” a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“The US cannot demand talks while simultaneously imposing new restrictive measures with threats and intimidation. This is not the right way to engage with China.”
Is China winning the trade war?
China appears to be gaining the upper hand in the ongoing trade dispute with the US, nearly six months after Mr Trump imposed steep import levies on the Asian economic giant.
Chinese exports rose 8.3 per cent in September from a year earlier to about £246bn even as shipments to the US fell about 27 per cent.
After Mr Trump declared his worldwide tariffs in April, several major countries moved to diversify their foreign trade, signalling a global shift towards a system where the US was no longer the central market.
In line with this shift, Chinese shipments to non-US destinations grew 14.8 per cent, the fastest since March 2023, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. The exports to the EU grew 14 per cent, to Asean countries by 16 per cent and to Africa about 56 per cent.
The minimal impact of the Trump tariffs on its overall trade only strengthened China’s resolve to adopt a firmer position in negotiations with Washington, as reflected in the stricter restrictions on exports.
Strong demand from markets beyond the US indicates that Chinese exporters may be less vulnerable to the additional tariffs threatened by Mr Trump. Chinese imports were up 7.4 per cent last month, pointing to a potential recovery in domestic consumption.
A self-driven recovery in China would mark a clear erosion of US dominance in the global economy. But analysts caution it is too soon to declare a winner in the trade dispute.
“While China’s recent export growth suggests some resilience, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that Beijing has gained an advantage in the trade war,” Lukman Otunuga, a senior market analyst at broker FXTM, told The Independent.
“Much of that uptick could reflect front-loading of shipments ahead of new tariffs or shifts in trade routes. The overall picture remains mixed, with both economies experiencing structural challenges amid the prolonged trade tensions.”
Mr Otunuga said the additional US levies were likely to heighten market uncertainty in the near term, and “investors may see higher volatility as markets weigh the impact on corporate earnings and global growth prospects”.
What are the new levies?
Mr Trump last week unveiled an additional levy of 100 per cent on Chinese imports to the US, along with new export controls on critical software, from 1 November. He also threatened to cancel a planned in-person meeting with President Xi Jinping, their first in six years, but US treasury secretary Scott Bessent later told Reuters the two leaders were on track to meet in South Korea in late October.
Bloomberg Economics estimates that a 100 per cent tariff hike by the US will raise effective rates on Chinese goods to 140 per cent, which could halt trade altogether.
“So far this year, China has shown that while it does not wish for a trade war, it is willing to retaliate to escalations as needed,” Lynn Song, chief Greater China economist at ING Bank NV, told Bloomberg.
“The export resilience will likely strengthen confidence in this approach ahead of the talks later this month.”
According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, average US tariffs on Chinese imports reached 58 per cent by end of September, while Chinese tariffs were at 33 per cent.
Despite current rates already sitting 25 percentage points above the global average, China’s manufacturing strength continues to drive export growth.
In a tit-for-tat move, China hit US-owned vessels docking in the country with new port fees, which came into effect on Tuesday.
Vessels owned or operated by American companies or individuals would be subjected to a 400 yuan (£42) per net tonne fee per voyage if they were to dock in China, Beijing announced last week. The fees would be applied on the same ship for a maximum of five voyages each year, and would rise every year until 2028, when it would jump to 1,120 yuan (£117) per net tonne.
The duties are largely aligned with the port fees introduced by the US. Vessels owned or operated by Chinese entities will be charged $50 (£37) per net tonne for each voyage to the US, which will rise by $30 (£22) per net tonne each year until 2028.
China’s new port fees could affect oil tankers accounting for 15 per cent of global capacity, according to Clarksons Research.
Will Donald Trump meet Xi Jinping to negotiate trade?
Mr Trump and Mr Xi were expected to meet at the Apec summit in South Korea at the end of October. There was also talk of the US president visiting Beijing in January, but those meetings appeared less probable after the recent escalation in tensions.
Mr Bessent said the US president remained on track to meet the Chinese leader as he sought to reassure traders and investors on both sides of the Pacific, highlighting the cooperation between their negotiating teams and the possibility they could yet find a way forward from the current tariff truce.
“We have substantially de-escalated,” Mr Bessent told Fox Business Network on Monday.
Substantial communications between the two sides had taken place over the weekend and there would be US-China staff-level meetings this week in Washington on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual gatherings, he added.
“The 100 per cent tariff does not have to happen,” Mr Bessent said. “The relationship, despite this announcement last week, is good. Lines of communication have reopened, so we’ll see where it goes.”
“President Trump said the tariffs would not go into effect until November 1,” he added. “He will be meeting with Party Chair Xi in Korea. I believe that meeting will still be on.”
Washington and Beijing have been negotiating since May.
China’s commerce ministry confirmed on Tuesday that a working-level meeting had taken place the previous day.
It also highlighted formal negotiations held earlier in London, Stockholm and Madrid, culminating in a 90-day tariff extension.
The ministry, however, warned that “the US cannot ask for talks while simultaneously threatening new restrictive measures”.
Politics
Latest Ukraine-Russia War Update: Trump Official Says Putin Will Pay the Price if Fighting Continues!
US pressures Japan to halt Russian oil imports
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said he has urged Japan to halt all imports of Russian energy, signalling a harder line from the Trump administration toward allies maintaining limited trade ties with Moscow.
“Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the US–Japan economic relationship and the Administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent posted on X after his meeting with Japan’s finance minister Katsunobu Kato in Washington.
The two met on the sidelines of the IMF annual meetings and the G7 and G20 finance leaders’ gatherings being held this week in Washington.”
Japan will do what it can based on the basic principle of coordinating with G7 countries to achieve peace in Ukraine in a fair manner,” Kato told reporters, when asked whether Japan was urged by Bessent to stop importing Russian energy.
Tokyo has already pledged to phase out Russian oil imports as part of the G7’s coordinated sanctions response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
However, Japan continues to buy Sakhalin Blend crude – a byproduct of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production from the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia’s Far East.
The energy source remains crucial for Japan, providing about 9 per cent of its total LNG imports, a key component of its energy security.
Shweta Sharma16 October 2025 04:01
IMF chief plans to visit Ukraine, Bloomberg reports
The International Monetary Fund’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, plans to travel to Ukraine, supporting its efforts to secure a new loan package in the fourth year of the war, Bloomberg has reported.
An IMF spokesperson said: “Our staff remains actively engaged with the Ukrainian authorities on macroeconomic policies aimed at maintaining stability, financing essential expenditures, and restoring debt sustainability, with a view to continued IMF support.”
The exact time of the visit is yet to be determined.
Harriette Boucher16 October 2025 04:00
India to stop buying Russian oil, Trump claims
Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, India’s top oil supplier, but could not halt its shipments “immediately”.
The announcement comes as Trump tries to step up efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy funding.
“Now I’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump told reporters.
The Indian embassy in Washington has not yet confirmed this.
Harriette Boucher16 October 2025 03:00
Zelensky and Greek PM discuss possibility of U.S.-supplied natural gas
Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed the possibility of the U.S. supplying natural gas to Ukraine as it struggles with the consequences of Russia’s multiple attacks on the country’s energy system.
Ukraine’s president said he was working to strengthen its air defence as much as possible before winter begins.
Harriette Boucher16 October 2025 02:00
Ukraine has prepared its ‘homework’ ahead of meeting with Trump, says Zelensky
Ukraine has prepared its “part of the homework” ahead of Zelensky’s meeting with Trump in Washington on Friday.
He says the agenda will be substantive, and the meeting could bring the war closer to an end.
We have already prepared our part of the homework ahead of the meeting with President Trump – both the military component and the economic one. Every detail is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who… pic.twitter.com/Jwpp5bdn5h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 15, 2025
Harriette Boucher16 October 2025 01:02
Kremlin denies Trump’s warning that Russian economy set to ‘collapse’
The Kremlin has hit back at accusations by Donald Trump that the Russian economy is on its way to “collapse”.
Asked about Trump’s remarks at an energy conference in Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees energy and the economy for the government, said that Russia had a stable supply of gasoline.
“We have a stable domestic market supply, we see no problems in this regard,” Novak said.
“The balance is maintained between production and consumption, and we, on the part of the government and the relevant ministries, are doing everything to ensure that this remains the case.”
You can read more below…
Nicole Wootton-Cane16 October 2025 00:00
Nato defence ministers agree ‘counter-drone measures’, Rutte says
A meeting of Nato country defence ministers have agreed additional counter-drone measures to step up support to Ukraine, chief Mark Rutte said.
In a post on X he wrote: “Excellent discussions with Defence Ministers, reaffirming increased defence investment, enhanced defence production & stepping up support to Ukraine.
“We will also implement additional counter-drone measures — #NATO is ready to do what it takes to keep our 1bn people safe & our territory secure.”
Nicole Wootton-Cane15 October 2025 23:00
Ukraine has relied on trains during the war – Russia is creating new technology to target them
As war rages on in Ukraine, the country has become reliant on its rail networks, which it has so far managed to keep running despite repeated strikes.
But officials and analysts are warning that advances in Russian drone capabilities and the growing tempo of attacks pose a serious threat to the vital infrastructure.
You can read more below…
Nicole Wootton-Cane15 October 2025 22:00
Trump has threatened to give Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine – but can they turn the tide of the war?
Washington may give access to powerful Tomahawk missiles, with Moscow threatening to respond. Experts tell Nicole Wootton-Cane that the weapons could significantly boost Ukraine – but their power shouldn’t be overstated.
Nicole Wootton-Cane15 October 2025 21:30
Watch: Zelensky confirms meeting with Trump in Washington
Nicole Wootton-Cane15 October 2025 21:00
