I’m torn, wanting to fall back on the adage, “Never blame on malice what can be attributed to incompetence.” However, in this case I might make an exception. Unsurprisingly, Trump fans who understand that halting cancer research at the NIH campus, no matter how transiently, is politically not a good look, are claiming that “bureaucrats” are purposely overinterpreting Trump’s executive order to make Trump look bad; i.e., that holdovers from the previous administration are trying to sabotage the Trump transition. Hilariously, Richard “Lab Leak” Ebright thinks that not just the canceled purchasing is “sabotage,” but also the cancellation of meetings of study sections and advisory councils.
This is long look into the shambles the Trump regime is making of, well, everything related to science and health, with a focus on a federal agency – the National Institutes of Health – that is absolutely vital to our nation.
The well-documented piece is appropriately scating about two horrible Trump nominees. The first is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has named to head the Department of Health and Human Services. RFKjr, like a number of other nominees, is blatantly unqualified and – given his views and deeds – a clear and present danger to public health in the United States.
The other is Jay Bhattacharya, named to head up the National Institutes of Health (a HHS agency). He's a doctor, at least, but he's also one of the people who loudly advised Americans, early in the covid pandemic, to go ahead and get infected – a specious recommendation that would, if followed, have led to countless more deaths.
Even before either of these terrible people could take office (or hopefully is rejected), bad things were happening, in ways that are already causing visible harm to the vital science NIH does. Funding freezes, travel bans, and so much more are just the start. Calling this insane would be an understatement, as you'll see when you read the piece.
Note: Science-Based Medicine, the site where this appears, has an About page you should also read. I'll quote one key sentence: "We provide a much needed 'alternative' perspective — the scientific perspective."
If the changes to Rubin’s biography are any indication of what remains acceptable under Trump’s vision for the federal government, then certain facts about historical disparities are safe for now. But any recognition that these biases persist appears to be in the crosshairs. The U.S. Air Force even pulled training videos about Black airmen and civilian women pilots who served in World War II. (The Air Force later said it would continue to show the videos in training, but certain material related to diversity would be suspended for review.)
Across the federal government, right-wing extremists are deleting and altering information. This example, via ProPublica, is an example of how ideology is warping history and lying about where we are now.
The edits show the extent to which the Trump cult intends to rewrite reality in service of its campaign to restore America's racist, misogynist past. They demonstrate the panic with which the cult has viewed the progress we've made during the past few decades, when the nation began to recognize the insidious nature of the bigotry that long outlasted the end of slavery, women's right to vote, and other valuable but insufficient efforts to redress injustices.
Bigotry never went away. Now, however, it's the official policy of the federal government.
The implications here are staggering. Even if you charitably view this as mere appearance of corruption rather than the real thing, we’re watching the creation of a dangerous new playbook: Presidents can now use frivolous lawsuits as leverage to extract millions from tech companies, while those companies can effectively purchase political protection through “settlements.” The next time you hear Silicon Valley leaders talk about defending democratic institutions, remember that Meta just showed exactly how much those principles are worth: $25 million, paid directly to a presidential library fund.
Trump was the most corrupt president in American history during his first term, and he's infinitely sleazier this time. One of the differences now is the abject cowardice, and greed, that infuses Big Tech's response to his vile ways.
As this piece in TechDirt (a must-read site for news about tech and policy) lays out in some detail, Facebook's capitulation to a lawsuit that was widely understood to be a legal joke demonstrates how dangerous a time we're entering. Big Tech is in the bag for our criminal president and his extremist policies, and it's only going to get worse.
This particular case is shocking in every way, given the abuse of the legal system that it represents. But Trump ended up with a partner, not an opponent. I have to ask: Has there ever been a corporate leader as powerful – and as cowardly and cynical – as Mark Zuckerberg?
He did this in his first week in office in the dead of Friday night without announcing it and without releasing names, so it seems clear that his people had been planning it for a long time. And it was done for a very specific reason. My guess is that it has something to do with the coming Project 2025–style purges of executive agencies. But that’s just a guess. Not being an evil genius myself, I have trouble keeping up with these people. The Democrats, meanwhile, have been their usual wobblyselves during these early days of Trump 2.0, with their mealy-mouthed vows to work with the administration and their failure (most of them, not all of them) to understand the situation we’re in.
Until we have a genuine opposition – and organized opposition – movement in this country, Trump will be completely unaccountable. The Republicans and his cult are backing him all the way, no matter how lawless he is. The Democrats, as the New Republic's editor notes here (alternate link), are pathetic sad sacks cowering in the corner.
I'm quite sure that the illegal firing of these inspectors general will be understood at some point as part of Trump world corruption, which infects everyone in his orbit. If journalists do their job (big if) and follow the money (if they're allowed to do that), there will be a slew of financial scandals, invited by Dear Leader and carried out by his corrupt associates.
But the way this deed has come and gone from national notice is emblematic of the way so many things work now. Endless lies, sleaze, and extremist polices meet America's goldfish attention span, and Big Journalism's expanding indifference. Bad, bad news.
This newsletter is a compendium of the reporting and commentary that best explains the America's political, economic, and social conditions – and, most important, how we can find a way back from the dark days ahead. You will rarely find anything here from the New York Times or Washington Post or any of the other Big Journalism companies that failed us so completely during the 2024 elections and are now sucking up – even more than usual – to Donald Trump, his cult, and corporate oligarchs. My focus will be on smaller, more honorable outlets (and individuals). I hope you'll support them with your attention and your money. For more details, please read my About page.
Please send your suggestions
I spend a lot of time looking for essential coverage, and hope you'll help me by letting me know about the good stuff you find. Let me know.
Subscribe
Was this forwarded to you? If you would like to have your own free subscription, please click here.
David Gorski
Hannah Bassett
Mike Masnick
Michael Tomasky
