Story perspectives

Trump Dismisses NSF Board, Calls for 55% Funding Cuts

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump terminated all National Science Board members by email, sparking accusations of a political purge.
Professor Keivan Stassun, a dismissed member, said the firings were unsurprising but enormously disappointing.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren called the dismissals a “real bozo the clown move.”
The administration proposed cutting National Science Foundation (NSF) funding by nearly 55%, eliminating National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ocean research, and reducing NASA by 25%.

History

Historical Context

Since Congress embraced federal basic research in the 1980s, the NSF budget grew from $1 billion in 1983 to $5.6 billion in 2005. Earlier budget battles—like the 1981 OMB plan to slash the social-science directorate by 75%—show how political pressure can threaten funding. Repeated attempts to cut NSF resources echo these historic struggles.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump terminated all National Science Board members by email, sparking accusations of a political purge.
Professor Keivan Stassun, a dismissed member, said the firings were unsurprising but enormously disappointing.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren called the dismissals a “real bozo the clown move.”
The administration proposed cutting National Science Foundation (NSF) funding by nearly 55%, eliminating National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ocean research, and reducing NASA by 25%.

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