Nobel Laureate Sheldon Glashow Criticizes the Politicization of Science Under Trump

American physicist and Nobel laureate Sheldon Glashow has offered a sharp critique of the Trump administration's policies toward the scientific community. Glashow recalled that since the 1940s, American science thrived on the vision of Vannevar Bush, which prioritized funding for basic research and academic independence, fostering a golden era of discovery in the 1960s. The physicist highlighted a dramatic decline in public trust in academic expertise, citing surveys showing that confidence in higher education has plummeted between 2015 and 2025. He criticized the politicization of scientific institutions, including the National Science Foundation, where funding decisions are increasingly steered by political appointees rather than peer review systems. Glashow also expressed concern over the cutting of foreign aid and the erosion of respect for experts, arguing that these shifts undermine both scientific progress and the integrity of the institutions that once bolstered the nation's success.