Rep. Jerry Nadler accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of antisemitism on Thursday after the health secretary said he believed “early circumcisions” were a factor contributing to autism.
“Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol,” Kennedy said in a meeting about his push to discourage the use of Tylenol among pregnant women over autism concerns, which has drawn widespread concern among medical professionals over its lack of evidence. President Donald Trump, who was present, said there was ample evidence for Kennedy’s concern but neither man cited any.
Kennedy, who has previously drawn antisemitism allegations over his comments about COVID-19, did not mention Jews in his comments. But circumcision is closely associated with Judaism. Traditional Jewish law requires the medical procedure to be performed on boy babies when they are eight days old as a signifier of their bond with the Jewish people. Male converts to Judaism also undergo circumcision.
“This is an antisemitic remark. I call on all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to clearly denounce it,” tweeted Rep. Jerry Nadler, the New York City Jewish Democrat, about Kennedy’s comments.
Most Americans choose to circumcise their male children, although the circumcision rate has fallen sharply in recent years. Among them, Jews actually tend to perform the procedure later, as most circumcisions are performed in hospitals soon after birth. The procedure and recuperation from it does not always involve the use of painkillers, especially when performed outside the hospital setting.
A small movement aims to normalize eschewing circumcision among Jews, who have one of the highest circumcision rates of any demographic group in the country.
On Friday, Kennedy issued a statement on X saying that the media had distorted his comments to suggest that he had said circumcision causes autism, when he had laid the blame on Tylenol. He also noted that he had been referring to a “preprint” — a research paper that has not been peer-reviewed — that says research has shown a link between Tylenol and autism, citing multiple studies including one of ritual circumcision in Denmark. Other research syntheses have said there is no identifiable link.
This story has been updated since publication to reflect a new statement from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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