The State of Science in the Trump Era

The report documents a systemic effort by the Trump administration to marginalize scientific expertise in federal policymaking. Key tactics identified include the disbanding of science advisory committees, the suppression of research on climate change and public health, and the creation of a 'culture of fear' that encourages scientist self-censorship. The authors highlight specific failures in the EPA, DOI, and HHS, while providing a roadmap for the 116th Congress to restore scientific integrity through oversight and legislative reform.

• The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) documented 80 attacks on science during the first two years of the Trump administration, which included the censorship of scientific language and the suppression or alteration of scientific studies.
• The EPA has undermined air pollution policy by disbanding the panel of 20 scientific experts that advised on the effects of particulate-matter air pollution on human health in October 2018.
• The administration has actively suppressed climate change science, including the removal of climate-related language from EPA draft rules on hydrofluorocarbons and the Affordable Clean Energy Rule.
• The Department of the Interior (DOI) has ignored climate science in land management, notably through Secretarial Order 3360, which rescinded policies for mitigating environmental impacts from climate change on public lands.
• The administration has suppressed specific public health studies, such as a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) study showing that refugees provided more in government revenue than they cost.
• The EPA has weakened the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by delaying bans on chemicals found in paint strippers and degreasers and suppressing a report on the cancer risks of formaldehyde.
• Federal agencies have restricted scientists' professional communication, including a USGS policy requiring advance permission to speak with reporters and caps on attendance at scientific conferences.
• A 'culture of fear' has led to widespread self-censorship among federal scientists, particularly regarding climate change research at the National Park Service (NPS) and USGS.

APA

Carter, J., Berman, E., Desikan, A., Johnson, C., & Goldman, G. (2019). The State of Science in the Trump Era. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/ucs-trump-2yrs-report.pdf

Chicago

Carter, Jacob, Emily Berman, Anita Desikan, Charise Johnson, and Gretchen Goldman. The State of Science in the Trump Era. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2019. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/ucs-trump-2yrs-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carter |first1=Jacob |last2=Berman |first2=Emily |last3=Desikan |first3=Anita |last4=Johnson |first4=Charise |last5=Goldman |first5=Gretchen |title=The State of Science in the Trump Era |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=January 2019 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/ucs-trump-2yrs-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carter2019state, author = {Carter, Jacob and Berman, Emily and Desikan, Anita and Johnson, Charise and Goldman, Gretchen}, 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/ucs-trump-2yrs-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }