The business approach to science in Trump's America

In Trumpland, one thing matters above all else: profit

A paradox has opened up in the opening weeks of Trumpland 2.0. On the one hand, Donald Trump has announced investment in AI and signalled he will support space travel and cryptocurrency technologies. Yet, conversely, there have been cuts across the board in scientific research, as the MAGA movement attacks climate and vaccine initiatives. The Trump administration is simultaneously promoting and attacking science and technology.

So which one is it? Is the new U.S. administration pro or anti-science?

Well, neither. Trump, like JD Vance and Elon Musk, is first and foremost a businessman. And in business, profit is king. So when it comes to which scientific initiatives to back the key question for Trump is: how much revenue does it generate?

AI is a booming trillion dollar industry which will only grow further as the technology continues to upscale. Space travel, although requiring enormous investment, has a clear upside as the space economy is estimated to be worth $1.8trn by 2035. It is also a geopolitical battle across an unexplored frontier, a chance for America to prove they are still the dominant world force, which, for a President who sees himself as king of the world, is a battle which must be won.

On the flip side we have climate initiatives. Despite renewable energies such as wind and solar now often offering cheaper energy than fossil fuels, the net zero transition is costly. Furthermore, the Trump campaign has taken significant donations from the fossil fuel industry. For a President beginning his second and (supposedly) final term, the long term pay off from prioritising green energy has no enticement and a deal was clearly struck with oil companies for their support. As a result, the spreadsheets spell out “drill baby, drill” for Trump.

Vaccinations and the pharmaceutical industry have generated enormous sums of profit in a nation lacking a universal public health system. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are inextricably linked with the shutting down of the economy, which subsequently initiated a recession the world is still reeling from. For America’s business-first administration, this is unforgivable. MAGA’s conspiratorial strain has led to a widespread distrust of vaccines and ‘Big Pharma’, containing a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the phenomenon of inoculations and the lives these save.

So we are left with this contradiction. Trump’s administration may do more to advance progress in the fields of AI and space than any previous administration, while concurrently dismantling green initiatives and health research. The economy may well boom, but the health of U.S. citizens and the planet might suffer to the point this becomes largely irrelevant. Sectors where research and knowledge take priority over profit will likely find the next four years increasingly turbulent.

This illustrates the problem when the top of government is filled primarily with former business people. Certainly, too many politicians without real world experience can lead to the proliferation of bureaucratic inefficiency as government hits a standstill during which little gets done. Noone can deny that so far, Trump is acting with pace.

But we must beware the abdication of thoughtful deliberation about political decisions in favour of the Silicon Valley mantra of “move fast and break things.” DOGE’s recent cuts to USAID will recoup money initially, but they have not thought through the effects these investments have. Not everything is about material gain. USAID helps those who need it most, while promoting the U.S. and democracy in other areas of the world. For an administration which decries the growing presence of China, it is a massive oversight to clear the way for further Chinese influence around the world as America’s retreat into isolationism continues.

The new business-led U.S. administration contains many contradictions. The one clear ideal is that of profit. But government must primarily prioritise the well-being of its citizens over the financial books. Yes, a strong economy often leads to a prosperous society, but there must always be policies that place greater importance on issues of health, security and safety over wealth. This is why a state will always be different from a business, but to Trump the United States is the biggest business of them all and everything is potentially for sale. If Trump continues to dismantle health research, environmental safeguards and overseas initiatives, the consequences may well be severe and long-lasting.