Yuri Kobzar17:59, 14.03.25
Under the slogan “Make America Great Again,” Trump is destroying one of the pillars of American power – primacy in science and technology.
The Trump administration’s desire to cut US government spending at all costs is jeopardizing America’s scientific and technical leadership in the world, Bloomberg writes , analyzing the latest decisions of the White House.
While the private sector has historically been the primary source of funding for research institutions in the United States, Trump’s cuts to government programs have already impacted the research sector.
“Harvard University is temporarily freezing faculty hiring. Columbia University is trying to cut federal funding to $400 million. Caltech is leaving postdoc positions unfilled,” Bloomberg lists just a few of the consequences.
Experts warn that cutting government science programs could slow the pace of American science. In the worst case, it could radically change the entire U.S. scientific system that made America the world leader in science after World War II.
“This is an ecosystem that benefits everyone and keeps the United States at the forefront. This situation threatens our country’s ability to remain at the forefront of science and technology by reducing or eliminating a generation of young technical talent,” said Fiona Garrison, head of the Department of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy at Caltech.
Jeffrey Lazo, an independent economist who specializes in the weather forecasting market, notes that in the weather forecasting segment, for example, it was the U.S. government, not the private sector, that was the primary source of funding. Government investment in the National Weather Service helped develop the commercial weather forecasting market. It now generates at least $85 billion in economic benefits, more than 20 times what the government spends on the sector.
And while the US government is cutting funding for scientific programs, its main geopolitical rival, China, is taking advantage of the moment and is already recruiting American scientists who lost their jobs due to Trump’s “efficiency” policies.
(c)UNIAN 2025