Story perspectives

Trump Axes 22 National Science Board Members, Sparks Innovation Concerns

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump terminated all 22 National Science Board members on April 26, 2026.
The terminations were sent in two-sentence emails from the Presidential Personnel Office with no reason.
The board, which advises on science policy and oversees National Science Foundation budget, was preparing a meeting and a report.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Senator Maria Cantwell and Keivan Stassun warned the dismissals harm innovation and could spur National Science Foundation budget cuts.

History

Historical Context

In 1973 President Richard Nixon terminated the President’s Science Advisory Committee, the advisory body created in 1951, shifting science policy to agencies. Congress created the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 1976 and later the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in 1990. On April 26 2026 President Donald Trump dismissed 22 Science Board members, echoing Nixon’s earlier purge.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump terminated all 22 National Science Board members on April 26, 2026.
The terminations were sent in two-sentence emails from the Presidential Personnel Office with no reason.
The board, which advises on science policy and oversees National Science Foundation budget, was preparing a meeting and a report.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Senator Maria Cantwell and Keivan Stassun warned the dismissals harm innovation and could spur National Science Foundation budget cuts.

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