Donald Trump pushed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to intensify his pursuit of conspiracy theories linking autism to vaccines, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. Kennedy, who has long promoted false conspiracy theories linking vaccines to autism and questioning their safety, had reportedly been instructed by White House officials to tone it down ahead of the 2026 midterms. Sources also told the Journal that in a tense June meeting at the White House, Trump dressed down Kennedy for not making enough progress on the matter. The spike in cases has been linked directly to a rise in vaccine hesitancy throughout the United States, particularly among religious fundamentalist groups. At the end of the day, if Kennedy won’t deliver for him, Trump has repeatedly shown himself willing to circumvent his own advisers and do it himself.