Trump Takes Bold Action Against Controversial Scientific Publisher

When President Trump famously vowed to drain the swamp, he wasn’t just talking about Washington D.C.’s entrenched bureaucrats. He was also calling out the hidden power brokers whose influence seeps into every corner of American life—including the supposedly neutral world of scientific publishing. The administration’s recent decision to terminate contracts with Springer Nature, a publishing giant marred by controversy and politicization, is precisely the kind of bold move conservatives have long demanded.

Springer Nature, for those unfamiliar, isn’t just any publishing house. It’s an academic titan that wields enormous influence over the scientific community, deciding what research gets published and, crucially, what doesn’t. Under the Biden era, such entities flourished—receiving millions in taxpayer dollars while actively suppressing inconvenient truths and cowing to China’s authoritarian demands.

Consider Springer’s shameful record during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, one of its flagship journals, Nature Medicine, published a paper titled “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2,” which confidently dismissed any possibility of a lab-origin for the virus, asserting that “we do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible.” This wasn’t just scientific error; it was purposeful misinformation. A House Oversight Committee investigation in July 2023 exposed how Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins actively monitored and promoted this paper, hoping to bury the lab-leak theory permanently. The committee rightly labeled this scandal “the anatomy of a cover-up.”

But Springer’s issues extend far beyond COVID. The company has a long, troubling history of bowing to Chinese Communist Party demands. Back in 2017, Springer openly admitted to restricting access to hundreds of articles deemed sensitive by Beijing. This pattern of censorship demonstrates a disturbing willingness to sacrifice scientific integrity—and American values—for profits in China’s tightly controlled market.

At the frenetic pace of the Trump administration wins, it’s easy to lose sight of smaller but still important successes. The administration just terminated a contract, and let three others lapse, with Springer Nature.

Even more recently, Springer retracted a peer-reviewed study on gender dysphoria authored by Michael Bailey after activists expressed outrage over its conclusions. Bailey, a respected researcher, had never faced retraction before. This wasn’t an issue of scientific accuracy—it was a political capitulation to woke pressure groups intent on policing thought rather than pursuing truth. Such actions undermine public confidence in our institutions and our discourse.

Springer’s financial practices have also raised eyebrows. The publisher charges exorbitant “article processing charges,” collecting nearly $590 million in just three years. According to researchers examining these practices, Springer and similar publishing giants maintain profit margins “between 30% and 40%, well above most industries.” This isn’t capitalism rewarding innovation; it’s exploitation of taxpayer-funded research and the hardworking scientists who produce it.

The Trump administration’s decision to cut roughly $20 million in funding to Springer Nature isn’t merely symbolic. It’s a concrete step toward restoring accountability, transparency, and integrity in science. Sources have indicated to Axios that this is just the beginning, with billions more in questionable expenditures under review. President Trump’s administration deserves credit for recognizing and addressing this abuse of taxpayer funds—something previous Republican administrations too often overlooked.

Transparency in scientific research funded by American taxpayers is also a cornerstone of this administration’s policy. On July 1, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced a new policy ensuring immediate public access to all NIH-funded research upon publication, stating unequivocally that “The American people should have immediate free access to the science that we so generously fund through the NIH.” This policy reflects the administration’s commitment to accountability and openness, values that Springer Nature has repeatedly violated.

Ultimately, President Trump’s decisive action against Springer isn’t just good governance—it’s a reaffirmation of core conservative principles. Government funds should never support entities that prioritize political correctness, censorship, and foreign appeasement over truth, transparency, and America’s national interests. Ending this funding sends a clear message: Under President Trump, the United States will no longer subsidize those who betray American values and scientific integrity.

President Trump’s administration has once again delivered on its promise: protecting taxpayer dollars, standing up to China, and restoring trust in our institutions. It’s a victory worth celebrating—and a powerful reminder of why leadership matters.