NIH employees publish Bethesda Declaration in dissent of Trump administration policies
CNNJUN 9
NIH Staff Issue 'Bethesda Declaration' Challenging Trump Policies
Above: Demonstrators protest funding cuts outside of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., on March 8, 2025. Image copyright: Michael Mathes/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
NIH staff are witnessing an extinction-level event for biomedical research. The Trump administration is prioritizing political goals over scientific integrity. The mass termination of grants wastes millions in taxpayer investments while creating a climate of fear that threatens America's position as the global leader in medical research and innovation.
Right narrative
The Trump administration is implementing necessary reforms to eliminate wasteful spending and political bias from NIH research. The new indirect cost cap brings NIH in line with private foundations and prevents taxpayer money from subsidizing bloated university bureaucracies and leftist agendas. These changes will redirect more funding to actual scientific research.