US midterm elections put the future of science policy at stake

Summary

Scientific American reported on the day of the 2026 US midterms that the second Trump administration has dismantled, disrupted or weakened many of the country's scientific bodies, and framed the vote as a test of what scientists say is at stake. Nature, reporting on the results published on 4 November 2026, said researchers hope US lawmakers will push back against the Trump administration's science policies, while noting there are limits to what Congress can do.

Timeline

1. Scientific American

   3 Nov 2026, 12:00 UTCSource ↗

   Scientific American reported on the day of the 2026 midterms that the second Trump administration has dismantled, disrupted or weakened many of the country's scientific bodies, and set out what scientists say is at stake in the vote.

2. Nature

   4 Nov 2026, 00:00 UTCSource ↗

   Nature reported that researchers hope US lawmakers will push back against the Trump administration's science policies, but that there are limits to what Congress can do, in its analysis of what the 2026 midterm results mean for science.