Gavin Newsom Warns Science Faces Trust Crisis

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, says American science is being pulled in two directions: extraordinary advances driven by AI and major institutions, and growing doubt cast on climate, pollution, and public health. In an interview spanning funding, educati

On the day California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, talks about science, the room is split by a simple contradiction. He points to momentum—private breakthroughs and university research systems pushing new frontiers—then immediately pivots to the damage being done when public trust erodes.

“Complicated. ” he says. describing an America where Donald Trump and his administration are. in his view. sowing doubt about fundamentals once widely agreed upon: climate change. the dangers of pollution. and the importance of public health. Even as that skepticism spreads. Newsom says progress is real and visible. from companies such as Genentech and Nvidia to public research institutions including the University of California and California State University systems.

He singles out artificial intelligence as a game changer across many fields, adding that the country may only be seeing “the tip of the iceberg” of what it can help researchers discover.

But optimism for him isn’t just about technology. It’s also about people—scientists, students, and communities continuing to build even when the atmosphere gets rough. “We tend to focus on the bad. ” he says. “and we forget how much good there still is.” He describes traveling across California and finding “people seeking new ways to improve the world” and reaching out for connection and collaboration. whether in labs. classrooms. or community settings.

The same theme shows up beyond U.S. borders. Newsom says around the world. people and even countries are coming together to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing humanity. and holding themselves and their governments accountable “even and especially when it’s difficult.” His message is blunt: “Humans do not give up—we keep fighting; we stay curious.”.

In the next generation, he says, he sees something like proof. “That’s how I know we’ll be okay.”

Where he sounds most alarmed is the question of whether the United States still attracts the world’s brightest minds. He says “California certainly is,” but warns America is at risk of losing that pull. Nationally. he points to what he calls attacks on education systems. dismissing foundational facts. defunding research. and targeting and terrorizing immigrant students. researchers. and entrepreneurs.

For Newsom, the stakes are clear because the U.S. scientific engine still delivers. He points to national labs producing “incredible scientific breakthroughs every year. ” and highlights Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as having earned 17 Nobel Prizes. Yet he says the Trump administration is proposing to cut research funding by double digits at five science national labs in its Fiscal Year 2027 budget. “It makes no sense,” he says.

In that gap between capability and policy, he ties the issue directly to talent. “This is not how we attract talent,” he says—especially talent from around the world. His answer is to shift the burden onto California.

“So California is stepping up, doubling down,” he says. He describes investing in schools and higher-ed facilities. working with leaders across the private and public sectors to develop innovation infrastructure and ecosystems. and nurturing an environment that “not only welcomes brilliance but helps it flourish.”.

That turn leads to his view of how science should be funded. “Well. first of all. it needs to be funded. full stop. ” Newsom says. adding that the government should fund this work. He also argues the U.S. needs public and private funding to work in a more complementary. smarter way—streamlining funding and avoiding a piecemeal start-and-stop approach. “especially on a partisan basis between federal administrations.”.

He believes public-private partnerships can accelerate progress by combining what he calls the private sector’s speed and focus with the public sector’s scale, resources, and broader vision.

When asked what he wishes were real but hasn’t been invented, he doesn’t start with medicine or computing. He wants a “sustainable, large-scale desalination” that is affordable and has no impact on the environment.

And when the conversation turns to the figures who shaped American science, Newsom offers a personal set of names—each tied to a different way science meets the public.

If limited to four. he says he would put Bill Nye at the top. praising how he changed the face of science and made it accessible to “countless kids (and many adults). ” calling him “one of the best scientific communicators out there.” He then points to Rachel Carson. describing her as pivotal to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and critical conservation policies. He includes Nikola Tesla, saying Tesla laid groundwork for much of the technology used today. And he adds Carl Sagan. asking rhetorically how you can not include him “given the successful Artemis II mission recently. ” along with where the world plans to go “in the years to come.”.

Newsom frames these legacies the same way he frames the science fight itself: as something that grows. not something that ends. “All of these people have made immeasurable impacts. ” he says. arguing that their contributions will snowball with each new breakthrough—made possible by their discoveries and by inspiring others to pursue science and research.

The interview, edited for length and clarity, circles back to one message with quiet intensity: when trust is attacked and funding wobbles, science doesn’t just risk lost experiments—it risks lost momentum, lost talent, and lost public confidence in the basics of life on Earth.

Gavin Newsom American science science journalism artificial intelligence climate change pollution public health funding research national labs Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Nobel Prizes Fiscal Year 2027 desalination Bill Nye Rachel Carson Nikola Tesla Carl Sagan Artemis II Environmental Protection Agency