Texas sues Tylenol maker in wake of Trump's unfounded autism warnings

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced Tuesday he will be suing drugmakers of acetaminophen for "deceptively marketing Tylenol to pregnant mothers," basing his accusations off President Trump's unfounded claims that the medication could be linked to autism.

In an announcement, Paxton, who is challenging Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in next year's midterms, claimed that Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson ignored evidence that acetaminophen could cause autism or ADHD.

The medical community has spoken out forcefully against these claims, with organizations representing OB-GYNs and fetal medicine specialists defending the over-the-counter drug's use in pregnant women.

“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks. These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets,” Paxton said in a statement.

“Additionally, seeing that the day of reckoning was coming, Johnson & Johnson attempted to escape responsibility by illegally offloading their liability onto a different company. By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”

Tylenol is one of the only over-the-counter pain medications that is considered safe for pregnant women.

Johnson & Johnson was the original seller of Tylenol before it spun off its consumer health business as Kenvue, with the latter becoming a fully independent company in 2023. Paxton alleged that Johnson & Johnson violated the Texas Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act by "fraudulently transferring liabilities arising from Tylenol" to Kenvue.

The announcement comes just one month after Trump said in the Oval Office that "taking Tylenol is not good," and telling pregnant women to "fight like hell not to take it."

“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products. We are deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children," Kenvue said in a statement to The Hill.

"We will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims and respond per the legal process," the company added. "We stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen and believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as these claims lack legal merit and scientific support."

The Hill has reached out to Johnson & Johnson for further comment.