Donald Trump’s plan to increase transparency by pulling a big hood over every aspect of the government continues on Tuesday. The EPA is already on a lockdown that blocks not just any public glimpse into the organization, but grants that are needed to support research and enforcement. The whole Interior Department has been cut off from social media to prevent the release of anything that might force Trump to brush up against a fact. And now the Department of Agriculture has been told to shut up those scientists.
The US Department of Agriculture has banned scientists and other employees in its main research division from publicly sharing everything from the summaries of scientific papers to USDA-branded tweets as it starts to adjust to life under the Trump administration, BuzzFeed News has learned.
Like many federal agencies, the USDA is responsible for research and enforcement in a great number of areas. The fact sheets it produces include everything from food safety bulletins, to commodities studies, to economic data. Or it did ...
“This includes, but is not limited to, news releases, photos, fact sheets, news feeds, and social media content,” she added.
Scientists stiffed at the USDA. A communications clamp down at the Interior Department. And a near total blackout at the EPA.
That’s one way to make sure that only Trump-approved propaganda reaches the public.