RFK Jr. Made Some Truly Awful Comments About Autism And Now He’s Shocked That Everyone Is Mad

In particular, critics called out Kennedy’s assessment of autistic individuals’ capabilities.

“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,” the health secretary said.

He later said he was only referring to 25% of the population with autism, such as those who are “nonverbal.”

Gwen Walz, the wife of Minnesota Gov. and former Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz (D), condemned Kennedy’s remarks, calling them “deeply upsetting, especially coming from our nation’s highest-ranking health official.”

The Walzes told People magazine last year that they discovered their son, Gus, had a learning disorder, an anxiety disorder and ADHD when he was a teenager.