Trump's NIH Cuts Are Killing Our Chances to Cure Cancer

Trump's attack on the NIH makes no sense.

Over the past few years, disorders that were once death sentences now have effective treatments. Childhood leukemia now has survival rates above 80%, and genetic disorders that condemned families to watching their children die can now be corrected before severe symptoms appear. These medical miracles didn't happen by accident—they emerged from decades of NIH-funded research that is now moving from laboratories into hospitals, saving real lives. But now that progress is at risk. By cutting staff and freezing grants, the Trump administration is stopping new treatments before they even leave the lab.

Trump's FY 2026 budget doesn't just trim fat, it slashes the budget of the National Institutes of Health by nearly 40 percent. That $18 billion reduction would take the agency back to 1990s spending levels and wipe out thousands of projects hunting for cures to cancer, Alzheimer's, and rare disorders.

Patients stuck mid‑treatment.

Since late 2024 the administration has already terminated more than 2,000 NIH grants it labels "ideological," abruptly halting over 100 clinical trials. These cuts appear to have been made through crude keyword searches—agencies are reportedly scouring existing grants using lists of flagged words including “women” and “Covid”--with no scientific review. Among the casualties of the ideological review are studies aimed at preventing stillbirths, child suicides, and infant brain damage. People with experimental implants or in trials of new cancer drugs have been left in limbo—no timeline, no replacement therapy—because politics hijacked science.

Jobs and growth? Gone.

NIH dollars flow straight into local economies. These grants support high-tech jobs in labs, hospitals, and research centers across the country. Scientists, data analysts, lab technicians, and engineers all rely on steady research funding, as do the local businesses that supply and support them. In FY 2023 alone, NIH funding supported about 410,000 U.S. jobs and generated $93 billion in economic activity. United for Medical Research—a nonpa

rtisan coalition of universities, patient groups, and industry leaders—reports every $1 of NIH funding returns $2.50 in economic activity. That's a 150% return on investment. Trump's cuts yank that economic engine from biotech hubs and university towns nationwide, eliminating high‑skill jobs and the small businesses that depend on them.

Permanent damage to the innovation pipeline

The vast majority of today's medical treatments stem from NIH-funded research. The COVID vaccines developed in record time built on decades of NIH investment in mRNA technology. New treatments for previously incurable genetic diseases now give families hope where there once was none. Trump's plan burns this innovation pipeline for no fiscal gain: the $18 billion "saved" is a rounding error in a $6 trillion budget, but it sets American science back years.

Courts may reverse the cuts—but the damage is done

A federal judge ruled Trump's selective grant cancellations "arbitrary, capricious, and discriminatory," and ordered some funds restored. But labs that laid off staff or shut down trials can't simply reboot. Once teams disband and data collection halts, momentum is lost. Research delays become missed breakthroughs. The consequences outlive the court ruling.

The Bottom line

Trump's assault on the NIH is anti‑cure, anti‑job, and anti‑growth. It sacrifices lifesaving research, high‑wage jobs, and U.S. biotech leadership for a cheap political talking point. American families will pay—in lost treatments, lost jobs, and higher health costs—long after the budget headlines fade.