JD Vance's Reason For Not Taking Ibuprofen Is A Head Scratcher

In 2023, an article from the American Medical Association identified distrust, fear, and misunderstanding as three of the most prevalent reasons for people not to take medications. It would seem that United States Vice President JD Vance might fall into a couple of those categories when it comes to his outlook on taking a common over-the-counter painkiller.

During a 2025 discussion at a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) summit with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Vance said that he doesn't want to take ibuprofen for conditions like back sprains (via PBS). He quickly added more commentary regarding his personal decision, stating his view is "not anti-medication, it's anti-useless medication," which he deemed a "MAHA style attitude." (Interestingly, Vance had a medical procedure that required anesthetic, so he doesn't seem to be completely against drugs.)

Though Vance didn't explicitly call ibuprofen useless, he seemed to imply that it fell in that bucket based on his remarks. Yet ibuprofen has many uses, which is why it's a popular NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug).

People routinely use NSAIDs like ibuprofen to alleviate physical discomfort caused by inflammation somewhere in the body. NSAIDs can also help bring down fevers.

With so many practical uses, ibuprofen seems to be a fairly safe and effective product. In fact, a 2024 study in the GM Journal of Medical Sciences notes that ibuprofen makes up about 5% of all doctor-prescribed medicines. That said, some precautions may be warranted when using ibuprofen. For instance, internist Dr. Janet Morgan told Cleveland Clinic that ibuprofen could be harmful to the stomach and kidneys if taken every day. (This is why you shouldn't take ibuprofen for stomach pain.)

Dr. Morgan also noted that the drug "can interact with the meds you're on, especially high blood pressure medications, which can lead to some serious adverse effects." Consequently, she advised limiting ibuprofen intake to three days and strictly following all dosing guidelines.

Ibuprofen isn't the first painkiller that has been called out publicly by members of the Trump administration. Kennedy mentioned earlier in 2025 that Tylenol (acetaminophen) shouldn't be taken by pregnant women. His reasoning was that the medication caused autism, but he conceded that he didn't have any studies to back him up (via PBS).

Despite this lack of research, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a release in 2025 about future label warnings for Tylenol and related products. The release mentioned that Tylenol "may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children" and that there was a "body of evidence" to support the warning. (Here's what the maker of Tylenol said about the inconclusive link between the drug and autism.)

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization issued a statement declaring that there wasn't sufficient consistent evidence linking Tylenol and autism development in kids. That stance has been echoed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which called claims to the contrary "misleading."