Fiction is the New Fact: The Radical Politicization of Science
- Anika Sharma
- May 12
- 3 min read
Scientific research has historically held the precedent of being objective - a realm of inquiry grounded in observation rather than opinion. It has been a longstanding neutral territory where facts held primacy over feelings, founded in the ideal of a shared understanding of the truth.
But COVID-19 seemingly tore at that foundation.
For background, COVID-19 is categorized as a highly infectious disease by the World Health Organization (WHO). This disease is marked by symptoms of fever, loss of taste, cough, and fatigue that can be fatal to some. It was first discovered in Wuhan, China, and later transmitted worldwide through travel and exposure.
As COVID-19 spread to the United States, the disease was determined to be a threat to life, and as such, multiple reliable scientific organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), came forward with prevention strategies. However, this time, all government officials and policymakers didn’t endorse these scientific recommendations - some condemned them. While Democratic politicians validated these recommendations, prominent conservative politicians, including President Donald Trump, did not. Instead, they spread misinformation about the pandemic via their expansive platforms and actively undermined the trust of the American people, whom they were elected to protect. From the early dismissal of the virus as a “hoax” to repeated claims that it would “disappear like a miracle,” the Trump administration’s rhetoric consistently ran counter to scientific consensus.
Prevention guidelines for COVID-19, like wearing masks and social distancing, which were intended to protect people, were now weaponized in an ongoing culture war fueled by political polarization between the Democratic and Republican parties. Instead of being understood as basic public health measures grounded in epidemiological evidence, these guidelines were politicized, framed by some as infringements on personal freedom or even catalysts of government control. Suddenly, wearing a mask wasn’t about public and personal health, it was a statement - a political statement. A statement that divided homes, states, and our country as a whole.
Even years later, we still feel this effect of the scientific mistrust caused by its politicization. We observe the United States going further in the direction of politicized science that harms public health with the appointment of RFK Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr. is a man who has almost no experience in scientific research, medicine, or public health. His ‘relevant experience’, however, is characterized by his time as an anti-vaccine activist whose claims are based on conspiracy theories. Some of his controversial claims include exposure to Wi-Fi causing “leaky brain” and the chemicals in the water causing young children to “turn” transgender.
Further, now RFK Jr., with his newfound power within the Trump administration, has voiced his plans to cut funding for research grants. This decision marks the formalization of the aforementioned idea that the government no longer encourages meaningful scientific research by accredited research organizations. Rather, the government uplifts and rewards individuals who spread misinformation and fearmonger the people instead of those who strive to solve relevant issues through their findings.
This isn’t just a public health crisis. When fiction is treated as fact, and science becomes a partisan tool, democracy suffers. We, the people, suffer. A well-functioning democracy, nation, and society depend on a shared understanding of the truth. A truth backed by evidence, not conspiracy. But it seems we’re living in an increasingly divided America. There’s an America where truth is evidence-backed, and there’s another America where truth is malleable to political narrative. And with this divide, science, a tool for progress and innovation, becomes another weapon of political discourse - manipulated, eroded, and warped.
When politicians manipulate the truth for personal gain and party agendas, they don’t just disintegrate trust in science - they create doubt in the entire democratic process. To restore faith in the legitimacy of scientific thought in the government, we ought to depoliticize public health and scientific research.
When science becomes subjective, the truth becomes optional.
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