Birther Donald Trump is again peddling a consistently debunked conspiracy theory that links the vaccination of children to autism.
Autism WAY UP – I believe in vaccinations but not massive, all at once, shots. Too much for small child to handle. Govt. should stop NOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2014
The mogul and one-time Republican presidential candidate was referring to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that autism has moved up again to 1 in 68 U.S. children, a 30 percent increase in two years.
Researchers have found no link between autism and the number of vaccines a child gets in one day or during their first two years, but that didn’t stop Trump from also speaking out about the issue Fox News in a 2012 interview.
The Thursday tweet even drew criticism from CNN host Jake Tapper:
This kind of message is dangerous. https://t.co/Xdsg2RbtCW cc: @CDCgov @NIH
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 28, 2014
Trump later followed up with another tweet saying he would take action on the issue if he were in the White House, something he flirts with every four years in order to raise his profile.
If I were President I would push for proper vaccinations but would not allow one time massive shots that a small child cannot take – AUTISM.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2014
