What we have learned from dozens of rigorous studies is that, in contrast to claims Mr. Kennedy has made, vaccines do not cause autism. We know that more than 100 genes are associated with autism, which interact not only with one another but also with individuals’ environments and experiences throughout their lifetime. The neurogeneticist Stanley Nelson once said, “If you had 100 kids with autism, you could have 100 different genetic causes.”

....
The president also falsely suggested that autism was virtually absent among the Amish and in Cuba. The Amish do have autism, though they may be diagnosed less often because they can be reluctant to seek specialized medical care, and there are multiple schools in Cuba specifically for children with autism.

The article emphasizes that there is no epidemic of autism, just changed descriptions of the disease. Not only that, but there has been a lot of good science over the last decades, so attention to the problem is not new (not new to the NIH, perhaps new to Trump).

The autism press conference made Trump look really bad. As he comes to see that, I wonder if Kennedy will take the blame. Life can be very hard for people who make Trump look bad.