Scientific American editor issues screed against America for electing Trump

Laura Helmuth, editor-in-chief of Scientific American, faced backlash after posting a series of inflammatory comments following Donald Trump's decisive victory in the presidential election.

In posts made on Bluesky, a social media platform considered an alternative to X, Helmuth accused her home state of Indiana of being racist and sexist for voting for Trump.

“Every four years I remember why I left Indiana (where I grew up) and remember why I respect the people who stayed and are trying to make it less racist and sexist. The moral arc of the universe isn’t going to bend itself,” she posted. 

Another post read, “Solidarity to everybody whose meanest, dumbest, most bigoted high-school classmates are celebrating early results because f*ck them to the moon and back.” In a separate post, Helmuth commented, “I apologize to younger voters that my Gen X is so full of f*cking fascists.”

After receiving significant attention, Helmuth deleted the posts and issued an apology. “I made a series of offensive and inappropriate posts on my personal Bluesky account on election night, and I am sorry” she stated. “I respect and value people across the political spectrum. These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results. These posts of course do not reflect the position of Scientific American or my colleagues. I am committed to civil communication and editorial objectivity.”

The series of posts come as Scientific American, the nation’s oldest magazine, has been scrutinized under Helmuth’s leadership for shifting from its traditional focus on scientific research to adopting a more politically driven agenda. The magazine made its first-ever presidential endorsement in 2020, supporting Joe Biden. Critics argued the move was a stray from science-based reporting and evidence that the magazine is pushing a social justice agenda, the Daily Mail reported.

Most recently, the magazine endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, urging readers to vote for the Democratic Party to “support science, health, and the environment.” 

Helmuth has also previously encouraged using more inclusive language, advocating against terms like “men and women” or “boys and girls” in favor of gender-neutral words such as “people.”