In a striking open letter, 82 Nobel Prize winners have lent their support to Kamala Harris for the presidency, cautioning that Donald Trump poses a serious threat to advancements in both science and society. The letter, shared with The New York Times, features laureates from fields including physics, chemistry, economics, and medicine, who argue that this election is one of the most crucial for the future of science in the United States.
The signatories, including recent Nobel winners such as molecular biologist Gary Ruvkun and economist Daron Acemoglu, emphasize Harris’s recognition that significant improvements in living standards and life expectancy over the past two centuries stem from scientific and technological advancements. In contrast, they view Trump as a potential obstacle to progress, noting that his past proposals for deep cuts to science funding could endanger future advancements and hinder responses to climate change.
Columbia University economist Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate himself, cited his concern over Trump’s proposed budget cuts during his presidency and the former president’s general stance against science and academia. “I hope it’s a wake-up call for people,” Stiglitz told The New York Times, reflecting on the profound impact that the election’s outcome could have on the science and technology sectors.
The letter further praises Harris for her acknowledgment of the vital contributions that immigrants make to scientific progress both nationally and globally. Additionally, in a separate letter obtained by CNN, 23 living U.S. Nobel laureates in economics endorsed Harris’s economic policies, declaring them “vastly superior” to those proposed by Trump. They stated, “While each of us has different views on the particulars, we believe that Harris’s economic agenda will enhance health, investment, sustainability, resilience, employment opportunities, and fairness, proving far more effective than the counterproductive agenda of Donald Trump.”
