FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports a pattern of hostility toward science during the first two years of the Trump administration, citing instances of political interference, funding restrictions, and the silencing of scientists. The document recommends that Congress reestablish the Office of Technology Assessment, pass the Scientific Integrity Act, and use confirmation hearings to ensure transparency and adherence to scientific standards.

• The Trump administration is accused of systematically sidelining science in public health and environmental decision-making, creating a pattern of hostility that erodes safety and environmental safeguards.
• The administration allegedly restricted the freedom of scientists to communicate, including requiring the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to obtain permission before speaking to reporters and reprimanding a Joshua Tree National Park superintendent for a climate change Twitter thread.
• Political interference has reportedly affected the scientific process across multiple agencies, including the censoring of a PFAS report at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the influence of Department of Energy (DOE) officials on a National Energy Technology Laboratory report.
• Funding for scientific research has been restricted based on political considerations, such as the DOE withholding $91 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and the EPA avoiding grants that mention "climate change."

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2019). FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/scientific-integrity-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA. 2019. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/scientific-integrity-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA |date=January 2019 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/scientific-integrity-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2019fact, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/scientific-integrity-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }