Jack Pichotta

Late in the 19 th century Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain)
said “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” If he
were alive, he would probably say that President Trump’s effort
to curtail science is beginning another rhyme.
Beginning in the 6 th century BC, ancient Greek and Roman
philosophers used science to make sense of the world. For
nearly a thousand years, first Greek and then Roman
philosophers explored a variety of questions concerning
astronomy, mathematics, ethics, political philosophy and
biology. These philosophers used what is now commonly
referred to as the scientific method by starting with a question
followed by systematic observation, research and
measurement, often repeated as new evidence was identified.
“On the Nature of Things”, by the early Roman philosopher
Lucretius, is a philosophical treatise that explored the nature of
the universe, the principles of atomism, the mechanics of
existence. He calls for an understanding of the natural world
based on observable phenomena rather than divine
intervention or religious fear, suggesting that the universe is
governed by material laws and the interactions of atomic
particles.

In the early 4th Century, the Roman Emperor Constantine
validated Christianity and from that time, until the Renaissance,
faith replaced the scientific method as the accepted method by
which to understand life’s many questions. Rather than
consider the findings of Lucretius and other Greek and Roman
philosophers, church leaders determined that only faith-based
solutions were acceptable. The writings of early philosophers
were ignored and often destroyed. Owning, reading or even
talking about the efforts of earlier philosophers was punishable,
often by death.
In the 15 th and 16 th century a cultural movement occurred in
Europe with efforts to revive and surpass the ideas of classical
antiquity, beginning the Renaissance. History defines the
thousand years between Constantine and the Renaissance as
the “middle” or “dark ages.” That period of time was marked by
economic, intellectual and cultural decline.
In 1417, a copy of “The Nature of Things” was found in a
German Monastery. Since then, “The Nature of Things” has
been identified as one of the most important works of
literature ever published. In his book, “The Swerve,” Stephen
Greenblatt suggests that the finding of “The Nature of Things”
was “How the World Became Modern”.
The Renaissance, which lasted from the 14 th through the 17 th
centuries, saw many contributions to different fields, including
new scientific laws, new forms of art and architecture, new
religious and political ideas. During this period, some of the

finest intellectuals, writers, diplomats, physicists, and craftsmen
in history flourished, while global discovery opened up new
nations and civilizations.
The founding of America, and the U.S. Constitution, was
influenced by Renaissance focus on the questioning of
authority, personal rights, the idea of government by consent
and the importance of the citizens role.
In the early 21st century, U.S. President Donald Trump,
emboldened by a series of Supreme Court decisions and
supported by a largely theocratic base, began to dismantle
many of science-based systems and programs prior presidents
and administrations had enacted.  These actions were
predicated by an effort to tilt public perception to conform with
a particular world view that religion was as valid as science and
that opinions were as valid as established facts. President
Trump’s Administration has taken unprecedented action to
recast scientific discovery as something sinister and wasteful.
The following is a short list (from a May 15 report by Senator
Bernie Sanders) of the Trump Administrations actions in his war
on science:
 Cut $2.7 billion in National Institutes of Health (NIH)
funding. Trump officials are weaponizing medical
research for unrelated policy.
 Erasing scientific data – at least 175 public health
datasets from the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention’s website and 135 datasets from a central
HHS data repository were deleted.
 Lied about the consequences of their actions. Elon Musk
says “no one” has died from the foreign aid freeze. But
researchers estimate nearly 200,000 people have
already died, and a global vaccine program estimates
1.2 million children will die because of cuts that will save
taxpayers 0.005 percent of the federal budget.
 Suppressing Scientific Communication – Since January
20, 2025, scientific staff at NIH, CDC, and other health
agencies have been subject to restrictions requiring all
public-facing communication to be cleared by political
appointees.
 Researchers are being prohibited from attending
conferences because their study’s conclusions do not
align with the administration’s views.
 All scientific publications in process – including those
already peer-reviewed – were frozen. Topics perceived
as inconsistent with Trump’s executive orders were
blocked entirely.
 At least 10,000 employees at HHS agencies have been
terminated and an additional 10,000 have retired, quit,
or been forced out by the administration.
 The agency in charge of the health and well-being of all
Americans has been cut down to less than one-half the

size of Tesla, and less than one-fifth the size of the for-
profit hospital corporation HCA Healthcare and less than
one-sixth the size of the UnitedHealth Group.
 Terminated the entire CDC team that supported state
and local initiatives to monitor and respond to a range
of environmental health threats including pollution,
wildfires, radon, harmful algal blooms, and lead in
drinking water.
 Rescinded over $12 billion in public health and mental
health funding for states that was provided by Congress
to support COVID response and recovery activities as
well as infectious disease and mental health programs.
 Continually frames attacks on science as attacks against
elites.

 
Although it is impossible to now know the extent of the
damage being done by President Trump’s Administration, it is
possible that the impacts of his actions may, like Constantine’s
efforts,  reverberate for decades.  Those of us who believe in
the principles that made America great – our diversity being a
strength, education being something to be admired versus
scoffed at, and that scientific discovery and collaboration
should be enabled and encouraged versus curtailed, must be
concerned.

The Trump administration’s efforts regarding science are
mirrored by its efforts to control and stifle certain educational
topics at both the local and collegiate levels, and his efforts to
transform the US Presidency to that of a “unitary executive” by
attempting to consolidate all government power to the
executive branch, rendering the powers vested in the Judicial
and Legislative branches subservient to the president –
essentially pushing the United States of America toward an
autocratic coup.
History (and Mark Twain) is watching…