On Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CNN’s “State of the Union” host Dana Bash clashed during a discussion about vaccines and autism studies. The debate centered on the validity of scientific research linking vaccines to autism and the need to "trust the experts."

During the interview, Bash questioned Kennedy about medical research spanning 25 years that found no link between vaccines and autism. She pressed him on why, as HHS secretary, he would not focus on studying fetal brain development and environmental factors that might contribute to autism.

Kennedy responded by citing 73 studies linking Tylenol exposure during late pregnancy and the perinatal period to autism onset. He also claimed that, according to the Institute of Medicine (part of the National Academy of Sciences), none of the eight vaccines administered in the first six months of life have been studied for a relationship to autism.

Bash countered, stating that more than 40 studies involving 5.6 million people concluded there is no link between vaccines and autism. The exchange became tense, with Kennedy comparing Bash to a parrot during the discussion.

The interview followed a Friday cabinet meeting where President Donald Trump pressed Kennedy to investigate whether certain vaccines are linked to autism, described as a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs social interaction and sensory processing.

A CNN spokesperson defended Bash, saying, "Dana Bash is a veteran journalist who conducted a newsmaking interview with Secretary Kennedy in which he stated that he supports parents getting their children vaccinated against measles and addressed President Trump’s push for further study into autism and vaccines. Asking tough, substantive questions to those in power is the job of every journalist, and Dana did hers incredibly well today. We stand behind Dana, her reporting, and CNN’s overall coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Sources