Celebrity fitness guru, author, and podcaster Jillian Michaels commended Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for launching new studies into the environmental contributors to the skyrocketing cases of autism, telling Newsmax on Thursday that if “genes load the gun, it’s something environmental that is pulling the trigger.”
Michaels joined “National Report” to react to Kennedy’s recent announcement and said she agreed with the Health and Human Services secretary that the autism epidemic can’t simply be explained by genetics.
“Listen, can there be a genetic predisposition? Of course there can. But what he’s saying is, if genes load the gun, it’s something environmental that is pulling the trigger. And he wants to get to the bottom of what that is,” said Michaels. “Autism has skyrocketed over the past two decades. It used to be one in 50 20 years ago. Now it’s one in 31 kids.
“And it’s crazy that not everyone is elated about the fact that he’s trying to get to the bottom of this. I, for one, am very happy with what he’s been doing, and I can’t wait to see the results,” she added.
Further, Michaels said the math doesn’t add up for autism to be pinned solely on genetics.
“If this is genetic, how come 20 years ago it was one in 50 kids and now it’s one in 31? That’s a quantum leap for genetics. So wouldn’t the argument be, how do we get back to where we were 20 years ago and arguably 50 years ago?” she said. “What is behind the skyrocketing rates? It can’t just be genes. It doesn’t work that way.”
Michaels also pushed back on the criticism of RFK for even trying to do something that should have been done before.
“I think we should be outraged that no one has done this previously. That’s where we should be really upset — why hasn’t this been done before?” Michaels said. “And I’ve heard the top criticism of, you know, ‘He’s getting people’s hopes up that we can have this by September and that’s not realistic.’ Who cares? If it’s six months later, who cares? The key is that we’re looking for answers and we should be really happy about that.”
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