--- title: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Asked About Science Issues description: Five-fifty leading groups representing 10 million scientists called on presidential candidates to address key science-related issues canonical: https://time.com/4445585/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-science-climate-change/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-10T14:41:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T23:52:15.999Z article:section: Science og:title: What Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Think About Science? Researchers Want to Know og:description: "Science is never partisan but it is always political" og:url: https://time.com/4445585/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-science-climate-change/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5764d2575b8c22d5/6988a1d3656a3f9efcbccb09/white-house-science-fair-obama.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: Sisters Kimberly, 9, right, and Rebe og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Think About Science? Researchers Want to Know twitter:description: "Science is never partisan but it is always political" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5764d2575b8c22d5/6988a1d3656a3f9efcbccb09/white-house-science-fair-obama.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Think About Science? Researchers Want to Know > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. 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Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=7894932c-3e51-4ea5-b479-4eeb4994d449&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1)  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 10, 2016 2:41 PM UTC  Sisters Kimberly, 9, right, and Rebecca Yeung, 11, of Seattle, WA., look on as President Barack Obama lifts their spacecraft science fair project during the sixth and final, annual White House Science Fair at The White House in Washington on April 13, 2016. Sisters Kimberly, 9, right, and Rebecca Yeung, 11, of Seattle, WA., look on as President Barack Obama lifts their spacecraft science fair project during the sixth and final, annual White House Science Fair at The White House in Washington on April 13, 2016. Ricky Carioti—The Washington Post/Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 10, 2016 2:41 PM UTC Five-fifty leading groups representing 10 million scientists called Wednesday on presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to address key science-related policy issues in advance of the November election. The coalition, which includes the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAS) and the National Academy of Sciences, among other organizations, highlights a [list of 20 topics](http://sciencedebate.org/20questions) like climate change, vaccinations and public health. “Collectively, those issues have at least as much impact on voters’ lives as the economic policy and foreign policy candidates are used to debating,” says Shawn Otto, a science advocate and chair of the Science Debate nonprofit. This year’s election comes at a pivotal moment for many issues of concern for the scientific community. [Climate scientists](http://time.com/4051338/climate-change-scientists/), for instance, have warned that the next several years will be crucial to any effort to stem catastrophic global warming. Trump has [called climate change a “hoax”](http://time.com/4362393/donald-trump-supported-addressing-climate-change-before-calling-it-a-hoax/) and promised to “cancel” the [Paris Agreement on climate change](http://time.com/4146764/paris-agreement-climate-cop-21/). While doing so would be easier said than done, the agreement is structured in such a way that a president could simply choose not to enforce it. The White House also sets funding priorities through its federal budget requests, providing federal tax dollars for virtually every area of scientific research. And the President directs agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Departments of Energy and Interior. In previous administrations, funding for science has been uneven. The 1990s under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton saw a bipartisan initiative to double funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), while President George W. Bush took a different approach, appointing officials with little scientific background to key positions, according to Otto. President Obama has been a [prominent advocate](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/01/us/politics/obama-to-leave-the-white-house-a-nerdier-place-than-he-found-it.html) of addressing a range of science issues despite coming to the White House with little background in the area. Beyond his focus on policies like the Clean Power Plan and an [effort to address the opioid crisis](http://time.com/4406375/president-obama-to-sign-compromise-opioid-bill/), Obama has also brought attention to science with efforts like the White House Science Fair. The questionnaire from the scientific groups is non-partisan and both major party nominees responded to a similar request 2008 and 2012\. Some scientists and science policymakers have taken a position against Trump, particularly his energy and environmental policies. Two [former GOP EPA heads](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/08/09/two-former-republican-epa-administrators-throw-support-to-clinton/) endorsed Hillary Clinton this week and others have criticized Trump’s [energy plan](http://time.com/4349309/donald-trump-bismarck-energy-speech/). “Presidents, through the face of government and its institutions, set the tone of the public discussion around science,” says Otto. “Science is never partisan, but it is always political.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4445585/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-science-climate-change/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4445585/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-science-climate-change/"},"headline":"What Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Think About Science? 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