Microphone of Malice: RFK Jr.’s Echoes of Eugenics. A Guest Post by Bhrea Koneman

Last week’s post described a new scholarship at the Highlights Foundation for neurodivergent writers who write for children and teens. This support has become even more urgent due to a proclamation this week by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, attacking autistic people and promising an investigation into and “cure” for autism. Brhea Koneman is a longtime family friend who I’ve known since she was 12 years old and her family moved to the Albany, NY, suburb where we lived at the time. She has become an activist and eloquent spokesperson for the rights of people with disabilities. This is the essay she posted on social media following Kennedy’s infamous speech, which I am reprinting with permission.

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Microphone of Malice: RFK Jr.’s Echoes of Eugenics

By: Brhea Koneman

This is how dehumanization and erasure begin.

With a man in a suit, hands resting on a podium, standing behind a seal of the United States government. Holding a title that feels official enough to trust. With a statement like this:

Autism destroys families. More importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this. These are kids who will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.

This is what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week, as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Not as a fringe commentator or podcast host. Not in the shadows of the internet. But from one of the most powerful public health positions in the country.

Millions of people heard him.

Some of them are autistic adults, some of them autistic children, some are parents raising autistic kids as part of the families that he views as destroyed.

Most certainly people who are neighbors, peers, teachers, employers, family members, friends, and medical providers of autistic people heard his words. We have no guarantee how they will interpret his message and wield it against our autistic children.

Millions of people heard someone in authority say that autistic people are broken. That our families are destroyed. That our children are burdens. That their futures are empty.

This type of language causes harm. Deeply insidious and dangerous harm.

When someone holds a position of power like Secretary of Health and Human Services, the words they speak are not just background noise—they carry real, measurable weight. This isn’t a casual conversation or a clumsy moment taken out of context. It’s a public statement made from a podium, backed by the authority of the federal government. And when that person uses their platform to spread misinformation or dehumanizing rhetoric, it doesn’t deserve a pass. It deserves scrutiny. If you think he “misspoke” or simply left a few things out, that’s a problem. There should be deliberate care and intentionality behind every word from someone who holds his position, especially when speaking about vulnerable communities. Anything less is irresponsible and reckless.

I want to be careful not to mince words. The severity of RFK Jr.’s comments and long spoken ideologies align with nothing short of eugenics. And if you think that word is too strong, I want you to understand what eugenics actually is. Eugenics is the belief or practice that certain groups of people are genetically superior to others, and that society should encourage the reproduction of those deemed “desirable”, while limiting or even preventing, the reproduction of those considered “undesirable”. That some people should be “fixed” or “prevented” from existing. And historically, it’s been weaponized against marginalized groups, such as disabled people—including those who are neurodivergent.

Eugenics has been used to justify horrific policies like forced sterilization, institutionalization, and even mass murder. During the Holocaust, over 250,000 disabled people were murdered before the mass killing of Jewish people even began. Entire programs were built to eliminate people who were labeled as “unfit.” One of the exhibits in the Holocaust Museum contains a large pile of mobility aids—crutches, braces, and devices taken from disabled people murdered under these ideologies.

We must understand that these horrors start with rhetoric—a calculated shift in language that devalues certain lives. RFK Jr.’s statements echo this dangerous trajectory.

The Holocaust did not begin with gas chambers. It began with language and ideologies. It began with the slow, normalization of dehumanization. It began with misinformation and propaganda. It began with political leaders and public figures planting the idea that certain lives were less valuable—less productive, less worthy, less human.

This is the playbook RFK Jr. is following. It starts with comments like these. It starts with calling autism an “epidemic.” With suggesting that autistic people are burdens. With painting them as economic drains instead of human beings. It starts with the idea that their existence is a problem to solve. That maybe, if we study autism hard enough, we can find the “cause”—and, eventually, the “cure” and suddenly there will be no need for another autistic person to ever be born. But what he’s really doing is reviving the oldest and most dangerous lie of all: that some lives are worth less. History shows us exactly where that lie leads.

If you think this is hyperbole, or that I’m taking it too far—just sit with what he’s actually said and advocated for during his career. For years, RFK Jr. and those that align with him, have been telling us not to vaccinate our children so they won’t “end up like this.” So they won’t be autistic. He’s saying the risk of death from a preventable disease is somehow more acceptable than having a neurodivergent child. That is the quiet part beneath his crusade. It’s not about health. It’s about fear. It’s about stigma. It’s about the belief that being autistic is so undesirable, so “other”, so tragic, that it’s worth risking lives to avoid. That mindset is not only wrong—It’s deadly. And it exposes exactly what kind of value system he’s operating from.

It’s important that we don’t lose sight of the content of the character of the man espousing these views and at the helm of such a damaging movement:

He is not a doctor. He has no training in neuroscience, autism, public health, or disability studies. What he does have is a decades-long obsession with linking vaccines to autism—a connection that has been debunked by rigorous, large-scale studies across multiple countries. And now that he’s been given a federal platform, he’s not using it to support families. He’s using it to further an agenda.

Let’s not forget that this is the same man who:

+ Claimed a live worm was eating part of his brain and impairing his cognition.

+ Allegedly retrieved a dead bear and dumped the body in Central Park.

+ Wrote journals detailing 30+ extramarital affairs, later found by his wife, who struggled greatly leading to the end of their marriage. She eventually died by suicide.

+ Contributed to vaccine fear in Samoa, which preceded a 2019 measles outbreak that killed over 80 people, mostly children.

+ Proposed placing people on psychiatric meds—particularly antidepressants and ADHD medication—to work in farm-based facilities.

Now he’s promising that we’ll “know the cause of autism by September.”  And referred to autism as an epidemic in that statement. That’s not how science works. You can’t will a timeline into being. Discovering causation in any complex condition—especially one as multifaceted and genetically rooted as autism—requires years of peer-reviewed research, ethical oversight, diverse participant populations, and global collaboration. He knows this. Or he should. But RFK Jr. isn’t interested in understanding autism. He’s interested in confirming his bias.

And the truth is, a significant portion of the rise in autism diagnoses is explainable. We’ve made major strides in diagnostic tools, public awareness, and access to information. More people are being identified because more people are finally being seen. For decades, autism research centered almost exclusively on young white boys, leaving countless others—especially girls, people of color, adults, and those with co-occurring conditions were often misdiagnosed. Those diagnosed with ADHD were automatically disqualified from receiving an autism diagnosis—when we now know that ADHD and autism co-occur at high rates. It wasn’t until the early 2010s that diagnostic criteria began to meaningfully shift to reflect the broader spectrum of neurodivergence. What we’re witnessing now isn’t a mysterious epidemic—it’s a long-overdue correction. People are getting answers that generations before them never had access to. This is emerging knowledge. And instead of embracing this as progress toward understanding and proper support, RFK Jr. is using outdated fears to fuel dangerous conspiracies.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s public discourse on autism has consistently centered on discredited vaccine theories and the pursuit of a so-called “cure,” rather than embracing the neurodivergent community’s inherent value and advocating for their support needs. His statements—such as labeling autism an “epidemic” and asserting that autistic individuals “will never pay taxes, hold a job, or go on a date”—not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also ignore the lived experiences of countless autistic people. If Kennedy genuinely cared about the well-being of autistic individuals, he would prioritize initiatives that enhance access to education, opportunities, healthcare, and community support. Instead, his focus remains on unfounded theories that divert attention and resources away from meaningful progress.

RFK Jr. made the harmful and misguided claim that autism “destroys families”. Autism does not destroy families. What might we argue are examples of things that have the potential to destroy families? Stripping away protections, rights, and resources that families rely on to survive. I can name many examples—backed and advanced by this very administration, some of which are handled by the department RFK Jr. now leads—that actually tear families apart. Things like:

+ Cutting access to Medicaid waivers and disability services

+ Allowing children to die of preventable diseases like measles

+ Halting clinical trials for treatments that could improve quality of life, and potentially cure deadly diseases

+ Gutting funding for public education and undermining IDEA protections

+ Making it harder to access affordable housing and food assistance

+ Defunding mental health support and stigmatizing the use of medication

+ Failing to provide adequate support for caregivers, leading to burnout and financial strain

Why haven’t we heard RFK Jr. using his platform to speak out about any of this? Because it’s not really about protecting families from destruction. It’s about instilling fear. It’s about control. It’s about pushing a narrative that positions RFK Jr. to be propped up as a savior.

I hope that RFK Jr. knows that many of us, especially those of us with the gift of neurodivergent pattern recognition, can see where his motives lie. We know that he has never cared about the well-being and value of autistic people. We see his misinformed agenda clearly.

Because if he truly cared about autistic people or their families, his priorities would look very different. If RFK Jr., the Trump administration, or Trump voters cared about autistic people they would be fighting for:

+ Universal access to early intervention supports

+ Inclusive education that adapts to neurodivergent learning styles

+ Workplace accommodations and employment protections for disabled individuals

+ Medicaid expansion and long-term support services for autistic adults

+ National investments in caregiver support and respite programs

+ Public education campaigns to fight stigma and promote neurodiversity

+ Comprehensive neurodiversity training for educators, healthcare providers, and law enforcement that centers the experiences of autistic individuals

+ Community-based housing initiatives with built-in support systems

+ Expanded mental health care that is trauma informed and tailored to neurodivergent experiences

Not fear-mongering campaigns. Not misinformation. Not narrow minded bleak depictions of the autistic experience. Not framing autism as a burden. Not equating autism to an epidemic.

Instead, we have an administration gutting budgets, slashing disability services, and placing the loudest conspiracy theorist they could find at the helm of public health.

And some of you still want to say, “Just because I voted for Trump doesn’t mean I agree with everything RFK Jr. says”.

No. You get to own your vote. Trump never hid his approval of RFK Jr. and his intention to elevate him within his administration. RFK Jr. never hid his harmful views. All of this was public knowledge and the very thing so many of us were trying to warn of. Just because you didn’t believe us, or do your own due diligence, does not mean that you are innocent from the destruction that your vote has caused.

Trump could have chosen any person for this important role within his administration. He chose RFK Jr. This is who Trump entrusted to shape national medical and health policy.

Again, let me be as clear as possible: maybe RFK Jr.’s views weren’t a dealbreaker for you. But your vote that elevated these views are a dealbreaker for my respect and trust in you.

This isn’t a policy disagreement. The harm your vote caused is not abstract. It lands on families like mine. It tells us exactly who is safe for us to be around. Who sees our children as fully human. Who is willing to stand beside us, and who quietly steps away or buries their head in the sand. If you can be “neutral” in the face of rhetoric that devalues and endangers autistic people, then we are not neutral about you.

We see what you voted for. We see you.

Though I hesitate to even respond to rhetoric so harmful it shouldn’t be dignified with rebuttal, let me be clear: millions of autistic people fall in love, play sports, write poetry, raise children. They shape art, science, and culture. They solve problems you haven’t even begun to imagine.

But none of that should be necessary to affirm a person’s right to dignity and respect and their very existence.

We don’t owe society a list of contributions in exchange for protection. The value of autistic people is not conditional. It is not something to be earned through productivity, talent, or conformity. It is intrinsic. It is rooted in the value of humanity.

There is a vast spectrum of autistic experience—diverse in strengths, characteristics, communication styles, and support needs. Many autistic people also live with co-occurring disabilities. Some require around-the-clock care throughout their lives. That doesn’t make their lives less worthy. That doesn’t make their families “destroyed.” It makes them part of the human fabric, deserving of dignity, safety, belonging, and love—without exception.

To the families supporting autistic loved ones with high or more complex support needs:

I stand in solidarity with you. I refuse to participate in the divide that pits families of the outdated framing of “high-functioning” vs. “low-functioning” autistic people against one other. Your reality matters. Your voice deserves to be heard without being drowned out by narratives that only amplify the accolades or independence of some autistic individuals, while ignoring the full spectrum of autistic people. The challenges and adversities you face should not be met with pity or platitudes, but with compassion, care, and with deep reverence for the life that you live.

You and your autistic loved one deserve more than fear-based narratives and misinformation. You deserve access. You deserve resources. You deserve a community that shows up for you—not just in words, but in policy, funding, and support. You deserve respite, understanding, and a government that honors your child’s dignity with comprehensive supportive policies, not one that reduces and misrepresents your family to push a harmful political narrative.

The autistic spectrum is vast, and it deserves to be held with nuance, not flattened for the sake of debate. Infighting will not liberate us. We are stronger when we stand together—when we fight not to prove whose experience should be centered, but to ensure that every autistic person is represented, protected, supported, and celebrated. Politicians may try to divide us. But if there’s one thing I know about the families of autistic kids—we have a very low tolerance for bullshit. We can see through the people that do not have the best interests of our children in mind. We know who truly supports us, and who would stand side by side with us. We have much in common, and at the top of the list: we know without a doubt, that there is no force more powerful or fierce than the unwavering love we hold for our children, and the unmatched strength we summon when we are fighting for our child’s dignity and future.

There is nothing inherently wrong with seeking to better understand the roots of autism. But that curiosity must be held with respect. Any legitimate research must begin from the premise that autism is not a disease to eliminate, but a neurodevelopmental difference to understand, support, and include. The moment we begin to frame autism as a tragedy to be cured, we have already lost the moral thread.

RFK Jr. told us exactly what he values when he opened his list of perceived autistic “shortcomings” with: “They’ll never pay taxes.” That wasn’t a slip. It was a glimpse into what he holds most important—it showed us the framework he’s operating from—a framework where human worth is measured in dollars, labor, and output.

Some may argue that discussing economic impact is a pragmatic approach to policy-making. However, when such discussions reduce individuals to their economic output, they perpetuate harmful stereotypes and ignore the multifaceted contributions of autistic people to society.

The idea that value is tied to productivity—to tax-paying, job-holding, and economic contribution—is not just misguided. It’s a lie. A lie built by capitalism and upheld by white supremacy. And it has been used for generations to justify the exploitation, abandonment, and erasure of those who don’t—or are unable to—conform to narrow definitions of usefulness.

We do not exist to be useful, productive, or profitable.

We don’t gauge the worth of a human by their potential to generate revenue for the state. That kind of thinking is dehumanizing at best. It’s the kind of ideology that makes it easy to justify cruelty, institutionalization, neglect, or even elimination. It reduces people to numbers. It ignores joy, care, connection, creativity, the beauty that exists in our differences, and all of the details that actually make up the human experience.

If this is the lens RFK Jr. views the autistic community, then he has no business speaking on autism from a place of authority—and worse yet, to be able to shape national policy that directly impacts autistic people and their families.

If you support RFK Jr., I want you to know this:

Many of our autistic children heard his message.

And as their parents, we are now responsible to make sure that they do not internalize his lies.

It is important that we are aware of the weight our autistic children are already carrying. Autistic youth are significantly more likely than their neurotypical peers to experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Recent studies show that by adolescence, autistic children are up to three times more likely to attempt suicide than non-autistic peers. This is not an intrinsic trait of autism. This is a direct reflection of how society treats autistic people. These numbers are not a failure of their neurology—they are a failure of our society.

As parents, we live in constant worry about the messages our autistic children absorb from the world around them. Messages that chip away at their self-esteem. Messages that tell them they are too much, too different, too difficult. And now, many of them have heard RFK Jr.’s message loud and clear—that their existence is a tragedy. That their lives are burdens. And once again, we’re left with the critical task of repairing what ableism has harmed within our children.

Though real hurt was done to our families, I want you to know that we will not let RFK Jr. and his supporters determine the stories that our autistic children believe.

We will make sure that our autistic children know:

That they are the authors of their truth.

That as their parents we have never viewed them as a tragedy responsible for the destruction of our family.

They are the heartbeat of our family—the light of our lives.

It is a privilege to witness their magnificent stories unfold.

There are many, many good people that love them for exactly who they are—without condition.

Their autistic friends with different support needs are just as valid and important to protect.

We will make sure to tell them—

Their value will never be found within their productivity or accolades.

That they deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and kindness.

That others’ inability to see their worth does not make them less worthy.

We will pray that they hear us when we promise them—

That their futures are not confined to the limited scope of small-minded ignorance.

That fear and hate are no match for truth and love.

I promise you this, we will fight for a world where autistic people are not “prevented”—but protected and respected. We will follow the lead of the many brave and powerful autistic activists.

I speak out because I have an autistic loved one. Because I too am neurodivergent. Because I am aware of what it looks like when a society starts to slowly accept the idea that some people are less valuable than others.

Let us commit to creating a society that not only acknowledges but celebrates neurodiversity. Let us advocate for policies grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and scientific integrity. The well-being of our children, and the moral fabric of our society, depend on it.

We cannot resign ourselves to the perceived inevitability of the degradation of our rights and protections or the erasure of human decency.

A just, inclusive, and safe society is worth fighting for.

Autistic people are worth fighting for.

The essence of our shared humanity is worth fighting for.