Attacks on Science

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

Agency Topic Administration

Analysis on Airborne Bacteria Suppressed

Dr. James Zahn, a research microbiologist at the USDA, asserted that he was prohibited on no fewer than 11 occasions from publicizing his research on the potential hazards to human health posed by airborne bacteria originating in farm wastes.

Underqualified Nominee Installed on FDA Reproductive Health Advisory Committee

A widespread public outcry occurred in response to an unqualified FDA nominee.

Workplace Safety Panel Nominees Face Political Litmus Tests

In a well-documented case involving the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Tommy Thompson dismissed three well-qualified experts on ergonomics from a narrowly focused peer review panel at the NIOSH.

National Institute on Drug Abuse Subjects Scientific Appointees to Litmus Test

National Institute on Drug Abuse Subjects Scientific Appointees to Litmus Test.

Abstinence-Only Education

The Bush administration interfered with scientific work on sex education programs.

Science Overruled on Emergency Contraception

The FDA repeatedly placed ideological and political considerations over scientific evidence in handling the emergency contraceptive drug Plan B’s switch from prescription to over-the-counter access.

FDA’s Drug Safety System Fails to Protect Public

In September 2004, the pharmaceutical company, Merck, voluntarily withdrew its pain medication Vioxx from the market after evidence emerged that patients were at increased risk of heart attack while taking the drug.

Plywood Rule Used Industry Funded Research, Ignored Independent Scientific Studies

In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a new air pollution rule that would exempt many plywood manufacturers from restrictions on the emission of formaldehyde and other pollutants into the air.

Chemical Industry Pressures EPA to Protect Herbicide, not Wildlife

Despite compiling hundreds of pages of evidence documenting the harmful effects of atrazine, a commonly used weed killer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refused to regulate the herbicide.

Leveling a Mountain of Research on Mountaintop Removal Strip Mining

Internal government documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that Bush administration officials disregarded scientific studies conducted in preparation of an environmental impact statement on mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia.

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