Nobel Prize Winners Endorse Kamala Harris, Warn Against Trump’s Policies

 

More than 80 Nobel Prize winners have thrown their support behind Kamala Harris in the presidential race, cautioning that Donald Trump’s previous proposals for significant cuts to science funding could jeopardize advancements in living standards in the United States.

In an open letter obtained by The New York Times, 82 Nobel laureates in fields including physics, chemistry, economics, and medicine emphasized that this election could be one of the most consequential for the future of science and the nation. They praised Harris for understanding that the significant improvements in living standards and life expectancies over the past two centuries are largely due to scientific and technological advancements.

The letter characterizes Trump as a potential threat to progress, asserting that his policies could undermine advancements in living standards and hinder responses to climate change. Among the signatories are notable figures such as Gary Ruvkun, David Baker, John Hopfield, and Daron Acemoglu, who were awarded Nobels this month.

Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in economic sciences and professor at Columbia University, highlighted his concerns regarding the drastic cuts to science budgets proposed during Trump’s presidency, as well as the former president’s adversarial stance toward science and academia. Stiglitz expressed hope that the letter would serve as a wake-up call, emphasizing the profound impact that the election outcome could have on science and technology.

The letter also acknowledges Harris's recognition of the vital contributions that immigrants make to scientific progress at both national and global levels.

In a separate letter obtained by CNN, 23 living U.S. Nobel laureates in economics expressed their endorsement of Harris’s economic policies, calling them “vastly superior” to those proposed by Trump. While the economists noted their differing views on specific policies, they agreed that Harris’s economic agenda would enhance the nation’s health, investment, sustainability, resilience, employment opportunities, and fairness, in contrast to what they labeled as Trump’s counterproductive economic strategies.