Even a Democratic victory in next month's US midterm elections may not be enough to reverse the disruption to American science under Donald Trump, according to former National Science Foundation manager Joel Widder. After 20 years at the agency, Widder became a lobbyist and is now retired. He told Science that much will depend on whether research becomes one of the Democrats' highest priorities.
'It's one thing to be a cheerleader for science,' Widder said. 'But will it be one of the Democrats' top five priorities? If not, it's going to be very hard to overturn what Trump has done.' Voters go to the polls on 3 November, with many researchers hoping a shift in Congress will increase scrutiny of the administration.
