Trump’s Attack on Science Escalates With Firing of Entire National Science Board (May 7, 2026 )
May 7, 2026 — The Trump administration's relentless war on the U.S.'s scientific infrastructure has accelerated. Over 1,500 top scientists at the EPA's Office of Research and Development have been laid off, pushed into early retirement, or reassigned to desk jobs unrelated to their expertise, such as an epidemiologist being moved to a job issuing permits for hazardous waste. Less than 10 percent of these scientists remain at the agency, where they will now work under a political commissar to "align with agency and administration priorities" and help end environmental regulations.
On May 7, 2026, all 22 members of the National Science Board—the independent, nonpartisan body overseeing federal science grants—were fired "immediately" via a memo that provided no reason for their termination. This firing occurred despite the members being appointed for staggered six-year terms and coincides with broader attacks on advisory boards for the CDC, FDA, and EPA. Across various federal agencies, more than 10,000 Ph.D.s with over 100,000 years of combined experience have been severed from employment during Trump's second term.
The administration has attempted to cut the NSF’s $9 billion budget by over 50 percent and has clawed back thousands of previously issued grants to educational organizations. Proposed cuts for the 2027 budget include billions of dollars from NASA, $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, and the elimination of the EPA’s $100 million “atmospheric protection program”. These actions risk marginalizing critical research, causing the world's "best and brightest" to seek opportunities outside the U.S. and allowing other nations to fill the research void. The impact of the loss of knowledge and research will be felt for decades—a legacy of this war on science.
| https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-attack-on-science-escalates-with-firing-of-entire-national-science-board/ |