Trump Slashes Science Funding, Dismisses NSF Board
SkimNews Take
Politicizing scientific institutions risks not just the integrity of research but also the public's trust in the very process of scientific inquiry.
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- Trump demanded a roughly 50% cut to US federal scientific and medical research funding.
- Congress passed a February budget that raised overall research funding slightly but cut CDC funding as targeted by Trump.
- Trump dismissed the National Science Foundation board this week.
- 314 Action reported over 700 candidates seeking its support for the midterm elections, three times the usual number, many citing the White House's war on science.
- Bolsonaro attacked scientists and cut environmental funding during his rule in Brazil.
- Modi's government removed the theory of evolution from Indian school textbooks.
Why it matters: Scientists gain a new political foothold as 700+ candidates rally under 314 Action, while Trump’s influence over science policy wanes; Congress’s modest funding boost preserves CDC resources despite his cuts, reinforcing a bipartisan pro‑science consensus. This shift signals a growing willingness among researchers to enter elections, potentially reshaping policy debates and counterbalancing right‑wing populist attacks on science.
