Science is at the core of a healthy democracy. But for years, presidential administrations have, in differing ways, sidelined scientific evidence and attacked scientific integrity.
Due to the large number of attacks on science we’re seeing from the second Trump administration, we are currently providing regular summaries of documented attacks.
- A Backward March: Another Month of Attacks on Federal Science (April 2, 2025)
- A Hundred Attacks and Counting: What Happened to Federal Science in February (March 12, 2025)
- How Science Has Fared in the First Two Weeks of the New Trump Administration (January 30, 2025)
Below is the list of documented attacks on science that occurred under the four previous administrations. They include disappearing data, silenced scientists, suppressed studies, and other assaults on science-based policy. More information on these attacks can be found in our peer-reviewed study and in our data repository.
Attacks on science
“Administration Issues” Derailed a Study on Sex Trafficking in Native Communities
A research study, looking at sex trafficking in Native communities, was terminated when the Trump administration transitioned in.
Endangered Crayfish in West Virginia Threatened as Coal Mining Resumes Near its Habitat
DOI officials allowed the resumption of coal mines jeopardizing the survival of two threatened/endangered crayfish species.
Trump Administration Orders Scientists to Conduct Less Accurate Climate Change Science
USGS can only use climate models that project the impact of climate change through 2040, rather than through the end of the century.
Trump Administration Puts Offshore Oil Rig Workers’ Lives at Risk
The Trump administration sidelined science in a decision to roll back protections for the safety of offshore oil rig workers.
How Do Common Chemicals Harm Children? The EPA Now Refuses to Fund the Science
EPA has decided not to fund 13 research centers that study chemical exposure in childhood and adverse health outcomes.
Endangered Species Threatened in Arizona Due to Politics and Bad Science
Federal agencies are abdicating their responsibility to use the best available science to protect some of the most jeopardized species on the planet.
The White House Restricts Science, Potentially Causing the Best Available Science to Disappear from Policymaking
The White House issued a memo on the use of scientific information by federal agencies that restricts the use of scientific information to inform policies.
EPA Officials Ignored Their Own Scientists on the Dangers of Asbestos
EPA issued a rule that only restricted the import of asbestos, providing a regulated pathway for industry to use asbestos-containing products in the US.
Trump Administration Orders the Removal of 30 Species from the Endangered Species List
Leaders from the FWS issued a directive instructing officials to delist, downlist, or otherwise preclude 30 species each year from the endangered species list.
USDA Casts Doubts on its Own Scientists’ Peer-Reviewed Work by Calling it “Preliminary”
A USDA issued memo requires scientists to label their peer-reviewed publications as “preliminary,” a label that could inaccurately cast doubt on the studies.
Related resources
Report
Advancing the Scientific Integrity Act
Scientific Integrity Act Policy Brief
Activist Resource
Scientific Societies Call on Congress to Save Science
This open letter, signed by more than 40 prominent scientific societies and organizations, was delivered to Congress in March 2025.
Activist Resource
Cumulative Impacts: Recommendations for EPA
To improve environmental health, UCS prepared eight fact sheets summarizing the recommendations of the NEJAC Cumulative Impacts Workgroup to the EPA.
Activist Resource
Resources for Federal Scientists
Are you a federal scientist, contractor, or federal worker? Here are resources to have on hand during the Trump administration.