A majority of Americans are aware of the damage being done by this disastrous administration to our governing institutions, the rule of law, and the economy. I think far fewer are aware of the thousands of preventable deaths caused by Trump’s version of “policy.”
The most visible are those caused by the defunding of USAID. USAID funding helped save an estimated 91 million lives over the past 20 years. Now, a peer-reviewed study tells us that Trump’s defunding of the agency will lead to more than 14 million preventable deaths globally by 2030, a number that includes more than 4.5 million children under the age of five.
Far less visible–but equally horrific– are the likely consequences of Trump’s indiscriminate war on medical science, and his termination of grants supporting clinical trials. A recent article from the Washington Post explored those terminations. Citing research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the article reported that funding for 383 clinical trials had been pulled, and that the funding disruptions affected more than 74,000 trial participants. The researchers found that the cuts disproportionately affected trials focused on infectious diseases (such as covid-19 and HIV); prevention; and behavioral interventions. More than 100 of the canceled grants supported cancer research.
Robert Hopkins, medical director for the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said the study showed that funding cuts disproportionately hit areas “that are critical to public health.”
Some of the clinical trials that lost their grants sued, and several got their funding back, but they experienced delays during the course of the trials that are likely to have significant negative impacts on the studies and on their participants. As one researcher explained, “If you pause an experiment, especially when it comes to experiments involving drugs and patients where you need a consistent dose over time and consistent measurements, it’s possible that you just screwed up the entire research.” Another noted that much of the clinical infrastructure was crippled or entirely destroyed during the grant terminations, making it very difficult to resume the research.
And of course, when clinical trials are delayed or canceled, the patients who were enrolled often lose access to care.
The funding terminations weren’t limited to clinical trials; numerous other research studies also lost funding. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in May found that between February and April, nearly 700 NIH grants had been terminated across 24 of the federal agency’s 26 institutes and centers. (It shouldn’t come as a surprise that studies focused on minorities–especially those investigating health concerns of non-Whites and LGBTQ+ citizens–appear to have been disproportionately targeted.)
Some of the greatest advancements made through research include vaccines, insulin, anesthesia, and treatments for infectious diseases. From laboratory studies to clinical trials and epidemiological investigations, scientists around the world use different methods of research to advance disease treatment, enhance diagnostics, and improve our overall understanding of diseases.
“Research is the key to advancing health on the individual, community, national, and global level,” said Cora Cunningham, PIH Engage member, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health student, and research assistant with the Lantagne Group at Tufts University. “Whether about drinking water quality, disease dynamics, health systems, or the patient experience, research in public and global health is what allows us to access, receive, or deliver quality and patient-centered health care.”
Without research, there would be no breakthroughs, no clinical advancements, and no new cures. Despite its importance to humankind, biomedical research—particularly research funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—has been targeted by the current U.S. administration.
The bottom line is that years of progress in public health have been disrupted. Thanks to a combination of frozen funding, the erection of new, onerous roadblocks to financing, and imposition of overly complicated new procedures, experts predict that the setbacks in research will cause generations of delays in breakthroughs and cures. As the linked article from Partners in Health warns, “patients who were part of clinical trials will face health risks due to the abrupt end to their treatment and support. Advancements made on cures and treatments for various diseases will be squandered. Jobs will be lost, and public health will suffer.”
The question is: why? This particular vendetta wasn’t a response to citizen demands. It isn’t even likely to line the pockets of the billionaires to whom this administration disproportionately caters. Like the destruction of USAID, it is simply gratuitously cruel.
Like Trump.
Thank you for addressing this important topic.
Ironically it’s the research that Trump and the Republicans are canceling that may have produced cures that could save the lives of their children and loved ones too.
Unfortunately, it is not only the undereducated who believe the lies of this psychopath who pay the costs. We all do, in ways both predictable and unanticipated. I remember the Jim Jones debacle. This reminds me of it because of the gullibility of the followers of a criminal leader.
Mass incompetence in a branch of government with too much unchecked power combined with a totally corrupt Congress led by a drooling psychopath has created this perfect storm for the destruction and retraction of progress. While we humans keep defying the natural laws of nature by insisting that saving human life is paramount, we OVER-insured our survival … sort of. Researching the causes and developing the cures for new diseases and maladies is what we’re compelled to do.
Sadly, however, the lives we might save in other, “poorer” countries will be allowed to reproduce more children into abject poverty and food insecurity. The United States throws away enough calories from its markets and restaurants that would feed an African nation. The food insecurity, lack of sanitation and crushing poverty for almost 3 billion people is the underlying additional factor to disease and preventable death.
What a pity that our brainless 24% and non-voters allowed our role in the backwardness of the human condition to add to the demise of the species. Besides the wars everywhere, overpopulation in certain areas, we now have the curtailment of what little good this country used to do.
Well done, Republicans and non-voters. You must be so proud of your adherence to your lord Jesus’ teachings and generosity to your ignorance.
There seems to be something else at play in these decisions to defund research that might lead to better lives for all. I believe that at the bottom of it all there is the belief that the world is overpopulated and the loss of tens of millions of lives will in the long run be a good thing for those in power. The main source of workers will soon be replaced by AI after all.
Basically, I think that the motives behind the 2025 plan are much more sinister than what we first thought.
Mary Kay, the billionaire class, and their political puppets will never be negatively affected by decisions in Washington or statehouses. Our oligarchy doesn’t function that way.
After reading Sheila’s post, I went to Gemini AI and we had a conversation. It was interesting to say the least. Since our AI models collect all their data from the internet, they tend to be pro-oligarchy or pro-capitalism, which you’d expect. Therefore, you have to keep asking questions or drill down.
If you remember, Elon Musk and DOGE were going to “easily save $3.0 trillion in administrative expenses,” which would pay for Trump’s tax cuts to his billionaire buddies. Musk is an idiot and actually costs the federal and state governments money. So, there’s that!
Also, the healthcare system pays out approximately $170-200 billion annually to its shareholders. Gemini thought this was a good thing at first, until I asked about Universal Healthcare and removing all the redundancies and profit from the system. It basically acknowledged that our “complex system” could benefit from a single-payer plan like those in other industrialized countries.
As a public good rather than a free-market enterprise, more money would be available for R&D, because the system currently has no interest in funding medical research: much of it is “not profitable,” and it takes money away from shareholders/investors. LOL
Therefore, we have a system that generates hundreds of billions in profits, but allows taxpayers to fund costly research that may or may not be usable. We socialize the costs, and if the research is usable, the healthcare system uses it to generate profits for investors. LOL
If 100% of the people were invested in the stock market or received stock for our investment in research outcomes, then I wouldn’t argue. But, as it stands, it’s completely skewed. AI was able to confirm:
– Top 1%: Holds 50% of the total stock market value.
– Top 10%: Owns 87% of all stocks.
– Bottom 50%: Collectively holds only 1% of the stock market. *1
*1 – We have a problem, Houston! 😉
I lay the blame for this on DOGE which I will point out was reminiscent of the original DOGE of Venice. The Doges were cruel, vindictive rulers. If you were to do something that offended the Doge, you would find yourself on the Bridge of Sighs to the prison from which no one emerges.
Post DOGE, Orange Jesus (OJ) continued to use research funding as ransom for compliance with policy. ((Note, it was policy, not law.). Now with RFK, Jr we are seeing an anti science wave from the right. RFK tells us we should not take medical advice from him, but he does seem to expect us to take advice from the doctors he has put in place, all of whom must be graduates of Clown College School of Medicine.
As long as OJ is both the President and Speaker of the House (his words, not mine) we may well see the end of medical research in America. Three years is a long time to be unfunded.
The federal government of The United States of America exists for the safety and well-being, in carrying out the governance of its citizens. At this point in time, 250 years after its inception, a POTUS with a remarkable lack of any compassion, knowledge, curiosity, empathy, integrity, honesty, responsibility, respect, kindness, patience, discipline, gratitude or humility; in other words, virtually not one whit of the characteristics of everyone of his predecessors, good or not-so-good, that brought us to this place in our history. It was simply inconceivable to our founding fathers that anyone this free of any redeeming characteristics would ever be elected. They didn’t count on there ever being the ridiculous number of uncaring and/or clueless voters in our great nation. Neither did I.
Sheila and I both know one individual who died early because of the suspension of research. I am sure that there have been many more.
Cruelty is intended to inspire fear. Fear is intended to inspire submission or withdrawal, both of which enable dictatorship. Do I need to say more?
Anderson Cooper interviewed Nancy Pelosi last night, I caught the rerun on CNN around 2:30 I think this morning and got out of bed to write down her statement so I wouldn’t forget it.
“I don’t believe that we can withstand two terms unless the Dems win the House.”
With the SCOTUS full immunity, allowing him to rule by Executive Orders, bypassing Congress totally, and loss of so many rights; it is possible there is no way we can withstand the next three years of this evil man and his administration of fools. Does anyone remember that Trump’s interference in Ukraine’s government brought about his first impeachment? And now it appears that he is the primary decision maker on possible peace in that nation. Where are the European leaders whose nations will be deeply affected by the outcome of the Ukraine survival as a sovereign nation.
Is SCOTUS committing Treason by their total support of Donald Trump and his minions?
run away mental issues, the heritage foundations plan,implemented by a rich prick who doesnt care as long as his pockets are full. during trumps rise many of the rich pissed on him as a person.many followed or, became the same wealth infused dictators. the social media is used as a whore for think tank outcomes. this was planned and this was demanded to see how far thw world would go in rebuking this foundation.made in America this time. the tech bros are as dirty as the rest. they have now become big brother. the best i can see is, leave social media to dryup its funds and show we dont have to allow the kind games they have demanded for entertainment. protect whats left of,your privacy. demand AI is not used to control outcomes. the states are being whipped into a federally mandated use of AI. thats 50 ideas to stop the mind game of hate and whatever the tech bros are brewing next. i never heard a peep from the rich about the snap and food issues, theres a real time hate brewing from them.happy redaction time!
“Is SCOTUS committing Treason by their total support of Donald Trump and his minions?” Simply stated, YES!
Theresa, I do not think it is quite that abominable, just “just,” he said, Trump’s trying to remake the world to fit into his picture thereof, in his very twisted way.
Mitdch D.
The problem is that it isn’t “just” Trump trying to remake the world to fit his picture thereof. It is the known and unknown Trump supporters and manipulators who’s picture of the world they envision that is alarming to me.
I stopped by to post essentially what Peggy already has. These cuts were part of the initial DOGE purge. It wasn’t even Trump in this case. It was all Elon. Basically, he’s a mass murderer.
“The question is: why? This particular vendetta wasn’t a response to citizen demands. It isn’t even likely to line the pockets of the billionaires to whom this administration disproportionately caters. Like the destruction of USAID, it is simply gratuitously cruel.”
And it’s not only a question for Trump but for all those, in and out of Congress, who remain silent or act to defend and comply. As you say, Sheila, it’s just cruel. It’s inexplicable. The harm is immense and likely to intensify. What will bring a change (apart from political shifts, etc.)? I’m listening to Pope Leo’s recent comments on the climate, on humanity, on what must end….. And it occurs to me that it may well be that Trump will have no words to hurl in his direction. Leo has no defenses and needs none. Trump will not handle this well. Perhaps, for once, he will shut up. I hardly expect him to change but I do think that, for one thing, the 55% of Catholics who voted for Trump—not without encouragement from some “leaders” in the church hierarchy and local clergy—regret their vote and will join Leo in his well-voiced condemnation of Trump’s worldview and actions and, well, let’s say, “repent” and recover their values and act on them.
I am glad, Sheila, that you are not letting up on your condemnation of Trump’s malicious, inexplicable “policy.” Thank you
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Trump was diagnosed with one of the diseases whose research funding he eliminated?
The pools of designated money for aid, medical research and social programs put under the auspices of trump seems to me to be why. The deprivation result to most people doesn’t matter to him. Let the private sector families, churches, businesses deal with those problems. When Congress appropriates money and the trump regime impounds it, where does that money go? To trump a huge pool of idle money is like drugs to an addict. He wouldn’t be able to resist taking it for his own use in some way.
I am a cancer patient. Stage four. Trump fired cancer researchers. Cancer researchers are the main hope that my grandchildren won’t have to go through what I am enduring. The constitution still says “promote the general welfare,” doesn’t it?
The fires of hell are not hot enough for Trump and his toadies.
Golly gee, Sheila girl, don’t you understand that them there private companies and religious institutions are gonna step up and give us what we need in the way of health products.
It all seems simple to me.
The war on science, and especially USAID, will result in deaths, but it will be poor people, LGBTQ people, non-white people (here and in Africa), all of which are positives for the likes of Musk and Trump.
Then, there is the money that can be reallocated to grift.
Finally, with medicine back in the dark ages, there is a fortune to be made selling Yacov’s Golden Elixir, and the likes. The unregulated “supplements” industry is already worth billions.
It will take years to recover, and there is no guarantee that the US will regain its position as the world leader in science and medicine. Decades to build and mere months to destroy.
The ” party of life” is anything but.