Trump Admin Targets NCAR, Dismantles Key U.S. Climate Research

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Dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research

The White House has initiated a plan to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a Boulder-based institution that has served as a cornerstone of global weather and climate science for over six decades. The move, announced by Russ Vought in a post Tuesday on X, targets the center as part of an broader effort to reshape federal scientific priorities. Vought explicitly labeled the center as one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country. The administration’s strategy involves a comprehensive review of the facility, with officials stating that vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location. For the scientific community, however, the distinction between weather and climate is inseparable. Antonio Busalacchi, who leads the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research—the nonprofit consortium overseeing the Boulder facility—reported receiving no warning prior to the announcement. He characterizes the administration’s decision as entirely political. “Our job is to state what the science is, and it’s for others to interpret what the significance of that science is. We’re very careful not to cross over that line to advocacy or policy prescription.” Antonio Busalacchi, head of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Defunding and Removing Ocean Observation Infrastructure

Beyond the research centers, the administration is actively removing physical ocean-monitoring assets. The National Science Foundation is in the process of decommissioning 900 ocean data-collecting buoys that cost $370 million to install. This effort, framed as a cost-saving measure, is projected to save taxpayers nearly $50 million per year. Removal operations have already commenced at the Coastal Endurance Array off the Pacific Northwest coast, with plans to extract equipment from the North Pacific, Greenland, and the Southern Ocean. The impact of these cuts extends to the Integrated Ocean Observing System, a network that provides real-time data for navigation, tsunami warnings, and hurricane forecasting. According to AP News, harbor pilots rely on this data to navigate dangerous waters, and the loss of these systems could jeopardize the safety of commercial shipping. Captain Ed Enos, a harbor pilot in Hawaii, warned that the cuts represent a dangerous strategy. “It’s the last thing you should be shutting down,” Enos said. “There’s no money wasted. Right at a time when we should be getting more money to do more work to benefit the public, they want to turn things off.”

The Project 2025 Blueprint and NOAA Restructuring

These actions align with the policy objectives outlined in the Mandate for Leadership, a document central to the administration’s current regulatory agenda. Thomas F. Gilman, a former Trump official and contributor to the document, previously argued that the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research should be disbanded, calling it the source of much of NOAA’s climate alarmism. According to Maritime Executive, the administration has already realized significant portions of this vision. Over the last year, NOAA has shed approximately 20 percent of its workforce, with the most severe cuts occurring within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. While earlier attempts to have the office eliminated as a line office were blocked by Congress, the administration is now utilizing budgetary and operational levers to force the consolidation and reduction of its research capacity.

Political Backlash and Future Implications

The dismantling of these research entities has drawn sharp opposition from Colorado officials. Gov. Jared Polis stated that the plan puts public safety at risk and constitutes an attack on science. Meanwhile, Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Joe Neguse have suggested that the targeting of the Boulder-based center is a form of political brinkmanship. They contend the move is linked to Colorado’s handling of Tina Peters, a former county clerk who was recently pardoned by President Trump after being convicted for illegally accessing voting machines. As the NPR reporting notes, the administration’s pattern of prioritizing climate skepticism in its policy decisions is consistent with actions taken during Trump’s first term, such as the infamous incident where a hurricane map was altered with a marker to contradict official weather forecasts. The current phase of these cuts suggests a long-term goal of permanently reducing the federal government’s role in climate-related data collection and analysis. For now, the scientific community remains in a state of uncertainty as the administration proceeds with its plan to consolidate or eliminate what it deems to be bloated agency operations.