"Try doing a little research" - Rep. Jasmine Crockett slams RFK Jr. for saying individuals with autism "will never hold a job"
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett criticized RFK Jr. for his recent comments about autism. In his first press conference as the Secretary of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, April 6, 2025, Kennedy Jr. discussed the CDC's report on the increased rate of the disorder's diagnoses in the country.
In his conference, RFK Jr. alleged that most with autism would never be able to function in society, including holding a job, paying taxes, engaging in sports, and even using the toilet unassisted. According to the Cleaveland Clinic, autism is not a "disease," as diseases have a "cure." The clinic stated that the goal is not to cure but to identify and assist in strengths and challenges.
Highlighting the fact, Crockett slammed RFK Jr. on X for his remarks, stating many people with the disorder "pay taxes, have jobs, can use the bathroom on their own, and are thriving in life." She continued:
"So the next time you step up to a podium, try doing a little research—or better yet, talk to some actual experts instead of spreading hateful, hurtful lies."
According to the Mayo Clinic, autism spectrum disorder is a condition linked to brain development. It can affect how the person perceives, socializes, behaves, and communicates, and could cause problems functioning in society. The disorder begins during childhood.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, despite not having a cure, the disorder can be managed through behavioral therapy, especially if diagnosed early. Further, since it is a spectrum, a child could have a wide range of presentations and challenges.
RFK Jr. calls for studies into "environmental toxins" associated with autism
Rep. Jasmine Crockett's response comes in response to RFK Jr.'s comment during the press conference, implying that most kids with autism cannot function in society. He noted that the disorder "destroy(ed) families" and destroyed the country's greatest resource, children.
"These are children who should not be suffering like this," he expressed.
He noted that many of the kids were "fully functional" before and "regressed" due to "some environmental exposure." He continued:
"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."
During Wednesday's press conference, RFK Jr. revealed the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, which reported an increase in autism diagnoses. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) report, published on Tuesday, found that 1 in every 31 kids in the country had been diagnosed with the disorder in 2022. This is an increase from the 2010 estimate of 1 in 36.
This prompted Kennedy Jr. to comment that the "autism epidemic" had reached a "scale unprecedented in human history."
According to an April 2025 article by Yahoo News, the CDC in 2000 reported 1 in every 150 kids. The organization suggested that the increased diagnosis could be credited to increased awareness and testing.
However, the health secretary rejected the idea and even criticized research focused on looking into genetic factors behind the disorder. According to the outlet, calling it "preventable," RFK Jr. suggested that those discounting research into environmental factors related to the cause were engaging in "epidemic denial." This included molds, pesticides, air, water, different medications, and even obesity.
"This is coming from an environmental toxin, and somebody made a profit by putting that environmental toxin into our air, our water, our medicines, our food," RFK Jr. claimed.
Kennedy Jr. suggested that the alleged aforementioned has become "normalized." It is worth noting that elsewhere in his conference, he acknowledged the increase might be due to "differences in availability of services for early detection and evaluation and diagnostic practices." However, he questioned why the disorder was only prevalent in "young people" and not in people who were 70+.
RFK Jr. also noted that he would soon announce a series of new studies that would help identify "environmental toxins." He added that the studies would be "thorough and comprehensive" and would be available to the "American people very, very quickly."
According to USA Today, during a cabinet meeting earlier this month, the health secretary explained that they had launched a "massive testing and research effort" to find the cause of autism and hoped to have an answer by September.
Several experts and those in the community have criticized RFK Jr.'s stance. This included Colin Killick, executive director of the Autism Self Advocacy Network. Killick told ABC News that Kennedy Jr.'s comments promoted the "worst kind of stereotypes" and "lie(s)" that "lives of autistic people are not worth living."
Author Jennifer Cook, an onscreen expert for the Netflix show Love on the Spectrum, called out the health secretary for not bringing any autistic stakeholders into the conversation.
RFK Jr. has not publicly commented on the backlash.