Nigel Farage Blasted For Saying He 'Doesn't Know' If Paracetamol Causes Autism

Nigel Farage has been slammed after he refused to criticise Donald Trump for his evidence-free claim that paracetamol can cause autism.

The US president has been condemned by medical experts in America and the UK after making the controversial assertion on Monday.

He said there had been a “meteoric rise” in cases of autism and suggested that paracetamol – which is called Tylenol in the US – is a potential cause.

“There are certain groups of people that don’t take vaccines and don’t take any pills, that have no autism,” the president claimed as he stood alongside his anti-vaccine health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Asked by LBC presenter Nick Ferrari if he agreed with Trump’s comments, his close ally Farage said: “I have no idea… you know, we were told thalidomide was a very safe drug and it wasn’t. Who knows, Nick, I don’t know, you don’t know.

“He (Trump) has a particular thing about autism, I think because there’s been some in his family, he feels it very personally”.

Asked if he would side with medical experts who say it is dangerous to make the link, Mr Farage said: “I wouldn’t, when it comes to science, I don’t side with anybody.

“I don’t side with anybody because science is never settled, and we should remember that.”

Put to him that it was irresponsible to make that link as US president, and that a large study on 2.4 million children had found no link, Mr Farage said: “That’s an opinion he’s got. It’s not one that I necessarily share. But I mean, honestly, I’ve no idea.”

Health secretary Wes Streeting – who criticised Trump’s initial comments – accused Farage of having “no idea and no backbone”.

In a post on X, he said: “This is a man whose health adviser claimed at Reform’s conference that the covid vaccine gave the Royal Family cancer. Anti-science, anti-reason, anti-NHS. Farage is the snake oil salesman of British politics and it’s time to stop buying his rubbish.”

Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Helen Morgan said: “Nigel Farage wants to impose Trump’s dangerous anti-science agenda here in the UK. Peddling this kind of nonsense is irresponsible and wrong.

“It seems Farage would rather see pregnant women suffer in pain than stand up to his idol Donald Trump.”

Social media users also hit out at Farage’s “crank” comments.