Trump’s authoritarian project now includes science

Beyond its ongoing efforts to intimidate the media, the educational system and civil society more broadly, the Trump administration is now targeting how knowledge itself is produced.

The National Institutes of Health and related programs award roughly $50 billion annually in research support. Since World War II, these investments have helped make the U.S. a global science leader. They are a strategic investment in America’s economy, public health and international power.

Now, in an apparent violation of the First Amendment, the administration is trying to fund only research it deems “pro-American.” If these changes are enacted, political loyalists — not scientists and experts — would be put in charge of the grant approval process. Research could also be terminated at any point if the administration decides that it is “anti-American” or otherwise does not align with the priorities of the president and the executive branch. 

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Since Trump’s return to power, a growing number of American scientists have moved to Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. This “brain drain” may take decades to recover from.

The broader implications of this move are clear and ominous: Trumpism is no longer “just” authoritarianism. It is a totalitarian project seeking to control every aspect of American life — including how Americans think and what they are allowed to know.