Scientific American magazine cover

Hats off to Donald Trump for finally getting the gang at Scientific American to gather the gumption to endorse a presidential candidate. It’s their first endorsement in the magazine’s 175 years.

The endorsement though isn’t for the tweeter-in-chief who has “badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science,” according to SA.

The editorial board wants Joe Biden in the White House because of his “fact-based plans to improve the nation’s health, economy and environment."

It rips Trump for his “dishonest and inept response" to the COVID-19 pandemic that has cost the lives of more than 190K Americans and for attacking environmental protections, medical care, researchers and public science agencies that help this country prepare for its greatest challenges.

The SA editors write:

“Trump repeatedly lied to the public about the deadly threat of the disease, saying it was not a serious concern and “this is like a flu​” when he knew it was more lethal and highly transmissible, according to his taped statements to journalist Bob Woodward. His lies encouraged people to engage in risky behavior, spreading the virus further, and have driven wedges between Americans who take the threat seriously and those who believe Trump’s falsehoods. The White House even produced a memo attacking the expertise of the nation’s leading infectious disease physician, Anthony Fauci, in a despicable attempt to sow further distrust."

The president’s reaction to America's worst public health crisis in a century has been to say “I don't take responsibility at all.”

Instead he blamed other countries and his White House predecessor, who left office three years before the pandemic began.”

Trump has repeatedly tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act while offering no alternative, proposed billion-dollar cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and want the US out of the World Health Organization.

The president keeps pushing to eliminate health rules from the Environmental Protection Agency and replacing replaced scientists on agency advisory boards with industry representatives.

SA editors write: “In his ongoing denial of reality, Trump has hobbled U.S. preparations for climate change, falsely claiming that it does not exist and pulling out of international agreements to mitigate it. The changing climate is already causing a rise in heat-related deaths and an increase in severe storms, wildfires and extreme flooding.”

Though Trump and his cronies are trying to create obstacles that prevent voters from casting their ballots, SA urges Americans to overcome all challenges and vote.

“It's time to move Trump out and elect Biden, who has a record of following the data and being guided by science,” concludes the editorial.

Will the president retaliate by cancelling his sub to SA?