When the White House tells pregnant women not to take Tylenol: what crisis PR really looks like
When a sitting President tells the public that your product may cause autism in children, there isn’t much time to pause and weigh options. Tylenol, owned by Kenvue, suddenly found itself in exactly that position. Donald Trump’s comments about acetaminophen use during pregnancy weren’t couched in nuance. They were stark: don’t take it, it isn’t good, ideally don’t touch it at all.
For a brand used by millions, the reputational and commercial risk is immediate. Investors react, journalists sharpen their headlines, and ordinary people, particularly pregnant women, are left anxious and unsure. In a situation like this, hours matter.
So, what do you do when the most powerful political office in the world undermines your core product?
The instinctive responses
Whenever a corporate crisis breaks, there are three common instincts:
Freeze: say nothing, let legal take the wheel, and wait for the dust to settle.
Fight: go loud with advertising, billboards, press briefings, and counter-messaging.
Flare up: clap back directly at the politician, pointing out their lack of medical credentials.
These reactions are understandable, but none of them, on their own, would steady the ship. The challenge is to move quickly without being reckless, visible without being theatrical, and firm without looking combative.
Why legal cannot lead alone
In a pharmaceutical crisis, legal always has the loudest voice in the room. Statements must withstand lawsuits, regulatory probes and investor scrutiny. But letting legal dictate communications entirely creates silence, and silence leaves a vacuum.
When the White House sets the narrative, waiting days for a carefully sanitised line will not stop headlines from spreading. PR’s role is not to override legal, but to move in parallel: drafting holding statements, preparing stakeholder outreach, and shaping the way evidence is explained publicly. The danger is not saying the wrong thing. The danger is saying nothing and letting misinformation cement itself unchallenged.
Why bold advertising backfires
The temptation in moments like this is to fight politics with theatre. Some imagine billboards showing happy babies, slogans about fifty years of safe use, or campaigns that directly question why a President would want pregnant women to suffer untreated pain.
But splashy advertising at this moment would look opportunistic. It would seem like commercialising pregnancy risks, exactly when trust is most fragile. In healthcare PR, you do not market your way out of a crisis. The public does not want to see ads. They want to see evidence, empathy, and humility.
What actually works: evidence, empathy, speed
The viable path is a science-led crisis response with four pillars:
Immediate holding statement: within hours, acknowledge public concern, express empathy, and encourage patients to consult healthcare professionals. Avoid litigating the President’s words directly, but do not leave silence either.
Independent expert validation: convene obstetricians, epidemiologists and autism researchers who can comment credibly, separate from the company. The public trusts doctors and universities more than corporate spokespeople.
Direct outreach to clinicians: provide one-page evidence summaries via medical affairs teams. When a pregnant woman walks into a GP surgery or pharmacy asking if Tylenol is safe, the professional answering must have clear guidance in hand.
Consistent public education: produce simple, calm content for owned channels that explains the issue in plain language. For example, the risks of untreated fever in pregnancy, the difference between association and causation in studies, and the importance of professional medical advice.
The layers beyond comms
Crisis PR at this level is not just about press lines. It requires coordination across multiple fronts:
Media strategy: place long-form explainers with trusted medical journalists, backed by independent experts. Reserve corporate spokespeople for trade media, while third parties such as universities or professional bodies handle mainstream TV and print.
Government affairs and lobbying: engage quietly with regulatory agencies and lawmakers. Show you are willing to review evidence, update labelling if required, and prioritise public health over profit. In Washington, credibility is as much about tone as content.
Shareholder relations: investor communications must be prepared immediately. Shareholders want reassurance that the company is moving quickly to protect both the brand and future liability. Regular updates via investor relations help stabilise market reaction.
Stakeholder mapping: identify and brief patient groups, autism charities, and obstetric organisations. Even if they do not speak out in defence, it matters that they understand your position directly rather than reading it in the press.
Internal alignment: employees are also brand ambassadors. Internal comms must explain what the company is doing and provide staff with language to use when asked by friends, family, or customers.
The weight of history
Tylenol is not just another consumer brand. Its handling of the 1982 cyanide-lacing crisis is still cited as the gold standard in crisis management. Johnson & Johnson recalled 31 million bottles, absorbed financial losses, and put consumer safety above profit. That decision rebuilt trust and set expectations for the entire industry.
That history now acts as both shield and burden. It shows the company knows how to prioritise safety in crisis, but it also means the bar is higher. The public expects decisiveness, transparency, and humility, not hesitation or defensiveness.
Where this leaves the industry
When politics collides with medicine, crisis management is not about winning the loudest headline. It is about protecting trust, stabilising behaviour, and keeping clinical guidance clear.
That means:
Working hand in glove with legal, but not hiding behind them.
Rejecting the urge to commercialise or retaliate.
Moving quickly enough that misinformation does not cement before science has a chance to speak.
The instinctive responses (fight, freeze, or flare up) are human. But in pharmaceutical crises, credibility is built on evidence, empathy, and speed. That is what steadies the brand, protects patients, and reassures investors when the highest office in the land decides to make your product the story.