The Trump administration and 115th Congress actively dismantled science-based health and safety protections, sidelined scientific evidence, and undid progress on scientific integrity.
Below is a running list of attacks on science—disappearing data, silenced scientists, and other assaults on scientific integrity and science-based policy. The list provides a representative sample of threats to the federal scientific enterprise.
Attacks on science
White House Posts Climate Change Denialist Misinformation
Two White House officials posted a series of debunked scientific reports that deny the existence of human-caused climate change.
Political Appointees Pressure Scientists to Cherry-Pick Data on California Wildfires
Political appointees at the DOI pushed federal scientists to cherry-pick data on the 2018 California wildfires to support political positions.
EPA Finalized Rule that Eliminated Safeguards for Industrial Pollution
The EPA finalized a rule that could increase hazardous air pollutant emissions from industrial facilities.
CDC and HHS Failed to Track COVID-19 Data
The federal government failed to adequately track vital COVID-19 data and instead relied on non-governmental groups to fill in these data gaps.
EPA Refused to Ban Three Toxic Chemicals
The EPA withdrew its proposed ban on three chemicals TCE, NMP, and methylene chloride.
EPA Sidelined Scientists and Weakened PFAS Assessment
Officials at the EPA overruled scientists in a risk assessment for a type of PFAS chemical, known as PFBS.
White House Intervenes to Weaken PFAS Import Ban
The White House weakened an EPA science-based guidance document that would have placed a strict ban on the import of products that contained chemicals.
Rolled Back Protections on Migratory Birds
The US Fish and Wildlife Service issued a rule that rolled back the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Trump Administration Didn’t Use Best Available Science to Estimate the Costs of Climate Change
The Trump administration failed to incorporate the best available science into how they calculate the social cost of carbon.
Trump Administration Suppressed Clean Energy Research
Under the Trump administration, the DOE buried, delayed, or sidelined 46 studies on clean energy.
Related resources
Feature
UCS and the Coronavirus
The Union of Concerned Scientists is actively monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine rollout.
Feature
Biden Science Tracker
President Biden promised to make stronger federal science a priority for his administration. How well is the administration performing in turning this promise into action?
Podcast
Making Fossil Fuel Polluters Pay
Climate accountability expert Kathy Mulvey shows how science can hold fossil fuel companies accountable.
Podcast
A Long Record of Lies on Climate Change
How did fossil fuel companies get away with deceiving the public for so long about climate change, and how their products contribute to it?