THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that the Trump administration halted, suppressed, or altered scientific studies to undermine evidence-based decision-making. Examples include the Department of Energy stopping the $100 million Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiment-Tropics and the Department of the Interior halting studies on offshore oil and gas inspections and mountaintop removal coal mining. The document recommends that Congress pass legislation to protect scientists' rights to review public materials, prohibit retaliation for raising integrity concerns, and request a Government Accountability Office report on agency scientific integrity policies.

• During its first two years, the Trump administration undermined evidence-based decision-making by halting, suppressing, or manipulating scientific research across several federal agencies.
• The administration eliminated or stopped specific research programs, including the $100 million Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiment-Tropics at the Department of Energy and teen pregnancy prevention research at the Department of Health and Human Services.
• The Department of the Interior (DOI) specifically targeted environmental and health research, including canceling an environmental impact statement on sulfur-ore mining in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area and halting National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) studies on offshore oil and gas inspections and mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia.
• Other instances of suppression include a Department of Labor study regarding a $5.8 billion income loss for employees due to a proposed rule on service employee tips, a Treasury Department publication on corporate tax burdens, and an HHS study on the benefits of refugees.

APA

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

Chicago

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

Wikipedia

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

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2019state, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{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-studies-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }