Supporters have argued that short-term pain is necessary to rebuild American strength.
But for young Americans just trying to get started — finding jobs, paying rent, building a future — the pain feels immediate.
Redefining Presidential Power — and Silencing Science
Trump didn’t just move to consolidate political power.
He also took aim at the parts of government that produce independent research — including science agencies that track the environment, public health, and technology.
One of his first executive orders had cut funding for federal research into climate change, clean energy, pandemic preparedness, and diversity in public health outcomes.
Key climate datasets maintained by NASA and NOAA were flagged for “review.”
Grants for renewable energy and DEI-related academic research were frozen.
Research centers were warned to clear any public statements through political appointees.
Inside agencies like the EPA, NOAA, NIH, and the Department of Education, information began to quietly disappear.
Entire pages on climate change, civil rights in healthcare, and extreme weather forecasting were taken offline or heavily edited.
Citations of peer-reviewed science vanished from government websites.
Forecast models tracking flood risk, wildfire spread, and hurricane strength were quietly “archived” — effectively cutting off public access unless citizens already knew exactly where to look.
At the same time, Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained broad access to internal databases across Social Security, Medicare, the IRS — and key scientific and economic data streams. (Democracy2025.org, Washington Post)
Supporters framed it as cutting red tape.
But for career researchers, it felt like a blackout.
Scientists and policy experts who raised concerns found themselves reassigned, sidelined, or pushed out.
One longtime Department of Energy official told the Washington Post, “We were told to bury anything that mentioned climate projections, even if it was already publicly funded research.”
Tensions with the courts escalated too.
Judges who blocked deregulation orders or censorship moves were attacked online and name-checked at rallies.
Some court rulings protecting public access to data were simply ignored.
“He doesn’t think courts should matter if they’re wrong.” — White House aide to Politico (Brookings, Politico)
In a free country, science and law are supposed to stand apart from politics.