As Trump Targets Researchers, Europe Makes a Pitch to Attract Scientists
New York Times12 hrs
EU, France Host 'Choose Europe for Science' Summit to Attract US Scientists
Above: French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen arrive to attend the "Choose Europe for Science" conference in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. Image copyright: Gonzalo Fuentes/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
If Europe would like the fired researchers, they can keep them, as they were fired for promoting a radical left, anti-science agenda at the expense of real research using taxpayer dollars. The Trump cuts to scientific institutions and universities are designed to return them to their mission of making our lives better, not spreading falsehoods and incubating hatred. America remains the global research and development center, which will accelerate under President Trump.
Anti-Trump narrative
The U.S. was once the global bastion of freedom and inquiry, becoming a global tech superpower in the process. Now, the reckless cuts to science and the chilling effect on researchers will be taken advantage of by the EU and others, who will profit at their expense. Science should be kept free from political interference, and the best and brightest will surely decamp for countries that carry the torch of truth and inquisitiveness.