FOR THE WEEK OF AUG. 25, 2025

Conflicts arise as U.S. politics gets enmeshed with science

Science and politics don’t mix well, kind of like oil and water or fire and ice. Yet a series of recent Trump administration moves involving vaccines, climate science and the space program spur concern among some health and scientific professionals about potentially far-reaching impact.

One situation involves a category of vaccines – called mRNA – used in 2020 to combat Covid, the scary global pandemic that shut schools nationwide. The technology, used earlier against flu and rabies, is considered ineffective and dangerous by the president's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "As the pandemic showed us, mRNA vaccines don't perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract," he said in a social media video. Most medical experts disagree, saying large studies show mRNA shots are safe and useful. Yet Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, is cancelling 22 federal research grants and contracts to develop mRNA vaccines for emerging bacterial threats, the next pandemic and possible cancer therapies. The government was ready to spend at least $500 million on that work in coming years. "We reviewed the science, listened to the experts and acted," Kennedy said in a statement this month. "We're prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies." The health secretary earlier dismissed a committee that made vaccine recommendations and he didn't urge vaccinations as a measles outbreak worsened.

Unease also follows funding cuts and staff layoffs across federal agencies and programs, including those focused on climate science and space exploration. A generation of scientific talent could be lost, specialists fear, because of political interference at what were evidence-driven agencies. "Our ability to respond to climate change, the biggest existential threat facing humanity, is totally adrift," says Sally Johnson, an Earth scientist who has spent two decades at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One of her worries flows from reported plans to end at least two carbon-monitoring satellite missions. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former astronaut, this month criticized "Trump's ongoing attempts to slash NASA’s workforce and gut its budget." In a New York Times guest column, the senator added: "Ensuring a continued American presence in space is crucial to keeping our country's engine of science and innovation moving. . . . . NASA is reportedly losing up to 4,000 employees, including some of its most experienced and specialized workers, because Mr. Trump is trying to take a sledgehammer to the civilian workforce."

Doctor says: "mRNA vaccines have already saved millions of lives from Covid and they have the potential to save millions more from other diseases. Suspending research on this modern medical miracle will mean more suffering and more preventable death." – Dr. Tom Frieden, past director at the federal Centers for Disease Control (2009-17)

Health secretary says: "Let me be absolutely clear: HHS [Health and Human Services] supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them. That's why we're moving beyond the limitations of mRNA and investing in better solutions." – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Aug. 5 statement

Blogger says: "The pro-life party is rejecting life-saving science." – Ron Fournier, ex-journalist posting at Substack

Front Page Talking Points Archive

Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.