Former U.S. President Barack Obama has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s recent remarks linking paracetamol (Tylenol in the U.S.) to autism in infants, warning that such claims pose a serious threat to public health.
Speaking at London’s O2 Arena in an interview with historian David Olusoga, Obama said Trump’s assertions were “continuously disproved” and risked deterring pregnant women from taking necessary pain relief. “It undermines public health … that can harm women,” he stressed.
Trump had claimed earlier in the week that “taking Tylenol is not good” and advised pregnant women to limit its use—comments dismissed by UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who urged women to follow medical advice instead of political rhetoric.
Obama used the platform to highlight a wider ideological struggle in the U.S., describing it as a “tug of war” between progressives who champion inclusive democracy and populists seeking a return to a narrower, more conservative vision of America. Without naming Trump directly, he referred to him as “my successor,” noting that such figures aim to redefine “we, the people” in exclusionary terms.
He also reflected on progressive complacency in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, arguing that values once taken for granted are now being tested in a more polarised, divided climate.
The London event also featured Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism. Obama’s appearance is part of a European speaking tour that includes engagements in Dublin, where he is set to receive the Freedom of the City.
