Trump's War on Science Will Gift America's Golden Goose to Global Rivals

The administration's assault on science could spark a brain drain, potentially turning America's innovation engine into a windfall for global rivals.

- Bhavan Jaipragas

By now you would have heard about United States President Donald Trump's new plan to attract top talent: fork out US$5 million (S$6.7 million) for a "gold card" and you'll get permanent residency - "green card plus privileges".

On Feb 25, Mr Trump previewed the scheme, claiming it would lure "very high-level people" who can simply pay their way into America's elite circles, while companies similarly import their preferred talent. It replaces the EB-5 programme, which grants visas to foreign investors funding job-creating ventures. Mr Trump believes this pay-to-play approach could chip away at Washington's US$35 trillion deficit. Don't even think about applying if you're short on cash.

Is it a master stroke or just another loony idea? It's too soon to say. But here's what matters now: America's brightest minds from artificial intelligence (AI) wizards to biomedical pioneers appear to be plotting a Plan B, fleeing an administration widely regarded as hostile to scientific research or, more fundamentally, to knowledge itself.

This isn't merely some stray postulation from a distant observer. Glance beyond the daily headlines of the administration's tariff threats and Moscow overtures, and you'll find a whiplash torrent of policy shifts that, by any reasonable measure, amount to an all-out assault on science: cuts to USAID, which often leads the fight against global infectious disease outbreaks; major layoffs at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; and aggressive spending cuts targeting both the National Institutes of Health and the US$9 billion National Science Foundation. These agencies collectively bankroll thousands of projects, supporting hundreds of thousands of researchers across institutions in every US state, and drive progress on everything from cancer treatment to quantum computing.

This should set off five-alarm fire sirens - yet it's barely registering within the administration.