Science under pressure: How the Trump era suppressed knowledge!
Science under pressure: How the Trump era suppressed knowledge!
science is an important pillar of any enlightened society and is based on the methodological search for truth. In the United States, however, scientific integrity under the presidency of Donald Trump experienced extensive challenges. According to a report by Ferner-Alsdorf, scientific knowledge, especially in the areas of climate research and health sciences, were severely discredited and restricted. Research results that did not fit into Trump's political agenda were ignored, censored or distorted.
Lauren Kurtz and the project "Silencing Science Tracker" document a variety of cases in which anti-science measures were taken by the Trump government. These included budget cuts, personnel policy implementations and direct attempts at censorship. One example is the US Geological Survey (USGS), which was instructed to only calculate climate change forecasts by 2040. This was used for the trivialization of the climate crisis and should offer the justification for the reduction of environmental requirements.
documented measures and their effects
The documented measures of the Trump government are alarming. On February 10, 2025, almost 900 million dollars were shortened in the Ministry of Education, which had far -reaching effects on scientific research programs. Just two days earlier, on February 7, 2025, $ 4 billion was deleted from medical research, which significantly impaired the disease prevention initiatives.
During this time, essential data about the Covid 19 pandemic was held back by the health authorities, and reports of the CDC were continued without relevant COVID-19 data. In addition, around 170 EPA employees who worked on environmental protection measures were transferred or released. Another critical point was the instruction to NOAA employees to avoid contact with the public, which further restricted transparency.
The research results were often questioned during the Covid 19 pandemic, and scientists who warned were discredited. The political pressure on health authorities led to the propagation of certain medication and the cover -up of data. This shift in scientific discourse led to a sunken trust in scientific institutions, especially under conservative sections of the population.
The consequences for society
This lost valuable time in the fight against global problems such as climate change. Political distraction maneuvers suppresses urgently needed scientific knowledge. The hostility to science undermines the basics of a functioning society and the right to informed decisions. The protection of the freedom of science is guaranteed by the Basic Law and should be defended inevitably.
In contrast, Joe Biden promised to focus during his presidential campaign to focus on science in times of crisis such as Covid 19 pandemic and climate change. Unlike its predecessor, Biden provided for a closer exchange with scientists to promote the restored trust in scientific knowledge. The Silencing Science Tracker documented a total of 428 anti-science actions at the federal level during Trump's term, including 154 censorship cases and 19 cases of self-censorship that mainly took place in the area of climate change.The bid administration has already started to take measures to ensure scientific integrity, but so far 11 actions documented by Trump's documented actions have only been reversed. A Pew Research survey shows that only 39% of the surveyed have confidence in scientists, which illustrates the challenge before which the current government faces.
science, ethics and the way forward
In addition, the current situation illustrates the need to strengthen the ethical standards in research. Projects, funded by the EU's horizon program, actively deal with the ethical questions of science and technology. These initiatives are designed to rethink systems of research regulation and to ensure high integrity in the implementation and use of research results.
Special attention is paid to programs such as techethos and irecs that focus on the ethical development of new technologies. In view of the global challenges, dialogue for ethics and integrity in research is further strengthened to ensure that scientists can work independently and without political interference.
In summary, the development of the past few years shows how essential it is to promote open and respectful discourse on science and ethics. Science must continue to remain the basis for informed decisions and social progress in both the United States and Europe.Further information on these topics can be found at pmc and cordis .
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