LETTER: Trump’s war on science hurting Americans

Three exciting health news stories caught my eye recently. A highly effective malaria therapy has just been developed — in Europe. The mRNA in the COVID vaccine might help fight cancer, but we might never know because follow-up studies are being stifled by the administration’s antipathy to mRNA vaccines. A dangerous new flu strain is circulating worldwide, but due to the weakened Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the government shutdown, we don’t know if it’s in the United States.

These stories highlight how the breakdown of U.S. scientific and public health research is already hurting Americans. And because every dollar invested on basic science research and development yields more than $2 dollars of economic return, the Trump administration’s war on science is also hurting us economically.

Most disturbing are severe cuts to programs and services such as the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These Project 2025-inspired cuts ensure that we won’t know enough about coming weather disasters and harms to our air and oceans. Ignorance will make us less safe.

Americans elected President Donald Trump to reduce inflation and help the economy, not to wage a war on science. Our global pre-eminence rests on reversing these terrible anti-science policies.