Stephen Colbert, the host of *The Late Show*, took aim at President Donald Trump after Trump made bizarre comments about a common over-the-counter painkiller during a recent press conference.
Colbert described the event as “insane,” pointing out that Trump tried to connect autism with a drug he couldn’t even pronounce. Colbert explained that autism is a broad term that refers to many different developmental differences. He added that while it’s understandable for anyone—even Trump—to want answers about autism, making unfounded claims is harmful.
Colbert then bluntly noted that experts in the medical field had called Trump’s comments “fucking crazy.” Trump had claimed that Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen) could cause autism and urged pregnant women not to take it. Health professionals quickly dismissed his remarks as both “irresponsible” and “disturbing.”
Colbert said Trump’s claim came from one single study, which only showed a correlation between prenatal Tylenol use and autism. Even the main author of that study warned that correlation doesn’t mean causation. To illustrate the point, Colbert joked that he once chose a salad over fries the same day his show was canceled—but that doesn’t mean the salad was to blame. Still, he quipped, “just to be safe, I’ll never eat a salad again.”
During the show, Colbert played a clip of Trump fumbling over the word “acetaminophen” several times before asking, “Is that OK?” Colbert’s response was sharp: “No. That’s not OK. Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”
