Science educator Bill Nye came out swinging at President Donald Trump on Friday, blasting his administration’s proposed cuts to NASA as “surprising, illogical and very troubling” in a scathing new opinion piece.
Writing for MSNOW in the wake of the historic return of the Artemis II crew – the first mission to the moon since 1972 – Nye argued the moment of celebration is being overshadowed by Trump’s plans to slash funding for space science.
“The proposed cuts would terminate 53 NASA Science missions, throwing away more than $13 billion in taxpayer investment and halting the development of nearly every future NASA Science mission,” according to Nye, best known for hosting the hit educational show “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” He added that such reductions would be “an insult to our astronauts and entire NASA workforce.”
Nye also took aim at proposed cuts to STEM education, calling efforts to eliminate NASA’s outreach programs “quite personal” and warning they would damage the nation’s long-term scientific leadership.
“We cannot allow this,” Nye declared, urging Americans to push back against the MAGA administration’s “draconian cuts.” He pointed to a growing global competition in space, particularly with China, and questioned why the U.S. would “cede the lead” at such a pivotal moment.
“NASA is the best brand our nation has,” Nye told readers Friday. He argued that space exploration reflects America “at its best” – and warned that abandoning scientific investment “would be an unworthy choice.”
“If Artemis II has showed us anything, it’s that the public, across the political spectrum, strongly supports space exploration, scientific discovery and a deeper understanding of the universe and our place within it,” he concluded.
Trump, for his part, on Friday congratulated the Artemis crew in a Truth Social post, praising their trip as "spectacular," and the landing as "perfect."
"I could not be more proud!" Trump wrote.