So, in April, I was like, “Hey, let’s spill the tea on this leaked letter from the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to the editor-in-chief of CHEST, a big-shot pulmonology and critical care journal.” Why? Well, because this letter is basically a big ol’ threat to science, and I knew it wasn’t just a one-time weird thing. Nope, it’s part of a bigger plan to control research, medicine, and media.
This letter from the acting U.S. attorney, Edward R. Martin, Jr., basically says that journals like CHEST are taking sides in scientific debates. But here’s the kicker—he doesn’t give any examples of bias, and he doesn’t even mention any laws or legal stuff that should concern the government. He’s just flexing his federal muscle and demanding that CHEST spill the beans on whether they’re open to different viewpoints and how they’re changing their editorial game to deal with their supposed biases.
Since I spilled the beans on this letter, turns out at least four other journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, have gotten similar letters. But get this—none of the editors want to talk about it on record because they’re scared of retaliation from the Trump administration. Bet there are even more journals out there getting these letters; CHEST just happened to be the first one to have a leak.
Now, why’s CHEST getting singled out? It’s not even one of the top 50 medical journals. Is this some sort of targeted campaign, like what we’ve seen at the CDC and NIH? Under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., terms like “diversity,” “minority,” and “equity” have been red-flagged. That’s led to cutting federal positions, axing research grants, and scrubbing government websites—all related to these terms.
But wait, there’s more. Kennedy has beef with medical journals that don’t publish studies supporting his wack theories, like vaccines causing autism. He even threatened to sue editors if they didn’t start publishing what he calls “real science.” But here’s the kicker—dude’s not even a scientist or a medical pro. Like, come on, man.
So, while Kennedy’s out here pushing his unsubstantiated claims, these journals like CHEST are out here doing the hard work. They have a whole process where outside scientists check studies for bias, errors, and unsupported claims. Authors have to spill the tea on any conflicts of interest and funding sources. It’s like a whole thing that Martin clearly doesn’t get.
We don’t know why Martin, Kennedy, or Trump are doing this, but it’s clear that this letter to CHEST is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s all part of a plan to silence researchers and institutions that speak up about inequality, social issues, and violence.
And get this—Martin has never been a prosecutor before. He’s just there to serve some political agenda. He even hired Michael Caputo, the guy who accused government scientists of “sedition,” as an advisor. It’s not about enforcing the law; it’s about scaring scientists and squashing dissent.
So, if these journal editors don’t step up and defend academic freedom, they’re not just putting themselves at risk—they’re throwing marginalized communities under the bus. We can’t stay silent when the government comes after vulnerable groups. We gotta stand up and fight for what’s right.
In the end, this whole situation is a huge threat to science. If we let it slide, we’re not just losing journals—we’re losing our right to ask tough questions and care for those who need it most. It’s time to take a stand and show the Trump administration that we won’t back down when it comes to defending science and truth.
