On March 28th, millions nationwide are expected to participate in local events supporting the latest No Kings mobilization, opposing President Trump’s authoritarian reach and his administration’s actions. Scientists play a vital role in this movement. Upholding a commitment to facts and knowledge, free from political influence, is essential for democracy—and worth protecting.
As the U.S. increasingly experiences competitive authoritarianism, control over scientific data becomes a key tool of power. Authoritarian regimes manipulate, censor, and halt data collection to shape public narratives, suppress dissent, and advance self-serving policies. A functioning democracy relies on its citizens’ ability to make informed choices. A commitment to knowledge and facts, independently produced, is essential for democratic decision-making, sustaining trust in institutions, and addressing global challenges like climate change and public health. A reality based on facts allows for policy evaluation and accountability. Reliable data is crucial for informed policy-making, and countries with robust statistical systems are often the most democratic. Without transparency and accountability, trust erodes, and government decisions lose legitimacy. Ideology-driven decisions empower a select few at the expense of the majority.
Since President Trump took office on January 20th, 2025, his administration has launched at least 536 attacks on science. This series of attacks includes ending or freezing 7,800 research grants, cutting or forcing out tens of thousands of federal scientists, proposing 35% budget cuts for science, endorsing conspiracy theories, intimidating scientists from public discourse, and pressuring universities opposing their agenda. They have also used disinformation to target immigrants, transgender individuals, and vulnerable communities, with severe impacts on law and lives. These are classic authoritarian methods to retain power.
Scientists are at risk from these actions but can oppose such abuses. A significant 77% of Americans trust scientists to act in the public’s best interests, according to a January 2026 poll. Scientists enjoy more trust than many other groups, such as business leaders and politicians. They should leverage this trust to defend democracy.
In the first two months of 2026, Trump and his allies have distorted facts and suppressed science, threatening democracy and safety. They repealed the EPA’s endangerment finding, promoted vaccine pseudoscience as policy, and manipulated voter data to influence elections unfairly.
Climate-change denial
The repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Endangerment Finding, which recognized greenhouse gases as a threat to public health, exemplifies this. It was a cornerstone for climate regulation, backed by scientific consensus and a Supreme Court ruling. While the administration celebrated it as a major deregulation, scientists see it as a favor to the oil and gas industry and wealthy polluters at the cost of public health. Trump’s EPA used legal maneuvers to suggest the agency lacks authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate climate change. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has joined a lawsuit against the EPA for failing its mission to protect health as required by the Clean Air Act.
This repeal followed a January 2026 court ruling that the Department of Energy, under Trump, illegally held a secret meeting with climate change skeptics. The group aimed to create a biased report against the endangerment finding. The Trump administration selected individuals, including a former BP Chief scientist who opposed scientific consensus, to produce a “scientific” basis for the EPA’s actions. The court found the group acted as a federal advisory committee but failed to meet legal requirements.
In January 2026, the EPA broke from scientific norms by excluding pollution’s impact on people from cost-benefit analyses for pollution standards. Despite evidence of the health benefits of reducing pollution, the new method only considers economic costs to polluters, favoring them over public health. This mirrors authoritarian practices seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, where regimes manipulated, suppressed, distorted, and avoided health data that challenged their authority.
Sowing distrust on public health
Trump and his associates are also spreading health pseudoscience for political purposes. Under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has distorted scientific evidence, cited nonexistent studies, and promoted politically driven conclusions that breach scientific integrity. A letter from the American Academy of Pediatricians and five organizations criticized HHS for misrepresenting scientific consensus regarding care for transgender and gender-diverse youth. An analysis for HHS’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda cited fabricated studies and reached incorrect conclusions. Vaccine-related pseudoscience is prominent under RFK Jr.’s leadership. HHS leaders cut funding for mRNA vaccine research and falsely claimed such vaccines were inadequately tested and linked to adverse events. RFK Jr. has appointed vaccine skeptics to health protection roles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) halted vaccine database updates, potentially undermining evidence-based medicine and public trust. RFK Jr.’s removal of vaccine recommendations aligns with “soft eugenics”: limiting government-provided health services, allowing nature to decide survival. This was evident in the “herd immunity” argument against COVID health measures. Such actions by HHS and Trump’s allies have prompted over 1,000 HHS staff to call for RFK Jr.’s resignation.
Targeting elections and the right to vote
The Department of Justice (DOJ) under Trump has weaponized science and data against democracy. Since mid-2025, DOJ Attorney General Pam Bondi has demanded Minnesota provide unredacted voter data, including personal identifiers. After immigration officers killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January 2026, Bondi suggested reducing federal operations in exchange for voter data and other concessions. The federal government has requested voter records from 44 states without legal authority to do so.
In January 2026, federal agents seized voter records from Fulton County, Georgia, related to the 2020 election. The investigation’s basis has been debunked by numerous courts. The timing before the 2026 midterms suggests voter data manipulation to affect election confidence and justify voting restrictions. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), was present during the search, raising concern among election officials. The DNI oversees foreign intelligence, not the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducting the search. Gabbard’s presence sparked bipartisan concern over rule of law and election data security. Experts suggest the visit was a federal presence to intimidate or deter participation. These events highlight how data can be used to manufacture doubt in elections, provide data for false claims, justify voter roll purges, intimidate officials, and discourage voter participation. Such tactics are typical of authoritarian efforts to compromise elections.
We can take action
Recognizing an emergency is the first step in responding to one. To prevent democratic decline, scientists can help the public and institutions recognize threats, a tactic effective in South Korea, Brazil, and Poland. Resistance in the U.S. must include courts, Congress, election defense, and independent media, but collective action is vital. Mass protests challenge the authoritarian narrative and show widespread opposition to Trump and his political supporters, including corporations. Public demonstrations have succeeded before, from the Tesla Takedown to anti-ICE activism that ended the federal assault on Minneapolis.
Science promotes health, safety, economic power, and collective knowledge as a public good. Democracy requires a shared commitment to truth and public welfare. Scientists must oppose authoritarian actions and safeguard democratic norms by safely joining local non-violent No Kings activities. Those unable to attend on March 28th can still support democracy through mutual aid and election protection. Every individual matters and can contribute. This represents democracy.
