Scientific American The company faced backlash on Monday after announcing it would endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
The media also harshly criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The endorsement marks only the second time the magazine has endorsed a president since its founding 179 years ago. He was bragging about X.I first endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, four years ago.
Citing Harris' plan, the editors said it would improve the nation's health care system and address issues of gun safety, climate change and reproductive rights.
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Congressional Black Caucus' Phoenix Awards ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“First, the new president offers a better vision for the country, relying on science, solid evidence, and a willingness to learn from experience. She is promoting policies that will grow good jobs across the country by embracing technology and clean energy,” the editors wrote.
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As for Harris' rival, Trump, he wrote that he would ignore the climate crisis “in favor of more pollution.”
“In an alternate future, the new president puts public health and safety at risk and denies the evidence, preferring instead nonsensical conspiracy fantasies,” the magazine reported.
Many critics of X have responded to this endorsement, with one medical journalist pointing out the “dangers” of the scientific community choosing a political stance.
Scientific American magazine has not publicly endorsed a presidential candidate for the past 170 years, but has endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the past two elections. (Reuters/Mike Seeger)
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“There's no question that science is political,” medical writer Liz Heileman said.
“Political decisions affect science funding, and scientific data influence public policy. But there is a real danger in the perception that science 'belongs' to one side in the war between politics and culture.”
Hileyman and several others were responding to a post by Atlantic writer Derek Thompson about Scientific American's support.
“I would like to see more scientists grappling with the trade-offs here,” Thompson wrote. Citing research, Nature magazine's endorsement of Biden amid the COVID-19 pandemic has undermined trust in scientific expertise.
“Indeed, a 2023 paper found that Nature's endorsement of Joe Biden led to a significant decline in trust in the journal among Trump supporters,” Thompson wrote, citing the study.
He added that the study found that the endorsement “decreased demand for COVID-related information provided by Nature” and “decreased Trump supporters' trust in scientists in general.”
Derek Thompson, a reporter for The Atlantic, cited a study showing how Nature magazine's endorsement of President Biden affected trust in scientific expertise during the COVID-19 pandemic. (iStock)
Another account owner, who identified himself as a software engineer, said the recommendation was “highly problematic.”
“The whole premise of an academic journal is to be a badge of impartial reliability. This seems to convince no one and alienate many,” he wrote.
Author Paul Midler noted the media's shift from stories about science to stories about “public policy.”
“Scientific American has historically focused on the hard sciences: astrophysics, physics, and biology,” Midler writes.
“The magazine's articles increasingly focus on social science and public policy. Since 'Americans' aren't that interested in 'science' anymore, it has no choice.”
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“Science should not interfere with politics,” wrote immigration attorney Anna K. Golish.
The endorsement comes after Scientific American magazine faced backlash and ridicule earlier this year when it published a story that suggested Harris would bring a scientific perspective to the presidency because her mother is a cancer researcher.
