Trump Purges Entire National Science Board via Email

President Donald Trump dismissed all 22 members of the National Science Board (NSB) on April 24, 2026, via brief emails from the Presidential Personnel Office. The board, a statutory body established in 1950 to provide independent policy guidance and oversight for the National Science Foundation (NSF), was terminated effective immediately without provided justifications in the initial notices.

White House officials later defended the move by citing a 2021 Supreme Court decision, U.S. v. Arthrex, regarding the constitutional authority of non-Senate confirmed appointees. Some former members, including Keivan Stassun, suggested the purge was retaliation for the board's opposition to a May 2025 proposal to cut the NSF budget by 55 percent. The dismissals occurred while the NSF director position has been vacant since April 2025, and as the board was finalizing a report on the state of U.S. science.

Democratic lawmakers, including Representative Zoe Lofgren and Senator Maria Cantwell, condemned the action as a dangerous attack on American innovation and scientific expertise. The Association of American Universities warned that dismantling the board's independent voice sends a wrong signal while China invests heavily in science. Conversely, Republican Representative Brian Babin defended the decision, stating that advisors should serve in a manner consistent with executive priorities. The government maintains that NSF work continues uninterrupted, though critics argue the move risks shifting research focus toward private Big Tech interests and narrow AI goals.