Wilbur Ross and the Trump War on Truth
NYT Editorial
'The commerce secretary deceived Congress on the census and threatened those who told the truth about the weather. The boss must be pleased.
After a quiet couple of months, Wilbur Ross, the secretary of commerce, appears set on distinguishing himself again as the most compromised member of an administration that at times seems defined by ethical and moral flexibility.
On Monday, The Times reported that Mr. Ross threatened last week to fire officials at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, not for doing their job poorly but for doing it well. The secretary was displeased that forecasters at the National Weather Service, which is overseen by NOAA, had contradicted President Trump’s incorrect warning that Hurricane Dorian was on track to hit Alabama. The threat was an abuse of authority aimed at misleading the public to provide cover for the president. . .
Putting politics ahead of sound science has proved to be standard operating procedure for this president. From the health risks of coal mining to the national security risks of climate change, Mr. Trump is hostile to any research that does not comport with his political interests — or view of reality. His administration has time and again suppressed and censored data that it finds inconvenient, prompting government scientists to lodge complaints or resign in protest. Studies have been derailed, scientists reassigned and advisory panels disbanded.
Mr. Trump is waging a war on facts, and he expects his aides to fight fiercely on his behalf, even when this requires misleading the public. . .
Loyalty is a valuable trait in an employee. But members of the Trump administration seem to have forgotten that they work for — and their loyalty lies with — the American people. They are charged with serving the public interest, not the president’s ego.'
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/opinion/wilbur-ross-trump.html?
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