The editor of America’s oldest magazine has stepped down after backlash over a controversial anti-Trump rant. The incident has sparked debates about journalistic neutrality and the role of personal opinions in media leadership.
Laura Helmuth, the editor-in-chief of Scientific American magazine, has stepped down following a series of social media posts in which she labeled those who voted for US President-elect Donald Trump as “fascists.”
Founded in 1845, Scientific American holds the distinction of being the oldest magazine published continuously in the United States.
On Thursday, Helmuth revealed her decision to step down as editor-in-chief after “an exciting 4.5 years.” She mentioned that she plans to take some time to reflect on her next steps and enjoy some birdwatching in the meantime.
The president of the magazine, Kimberly Lau, stated that Helmuth’s decision to leave was voluntary. She expressed gratitude for Helmuth’s efforts in creating “a reimagined digital newsroom” and guiding the magazine towards earning significant science communications awards.
Helmuth assumed the position of editor-in-chief at Scientific American in April 2020, following his tenure at the Washington Post. Later that year, for the first time in US history, the magazine publicly endorsed a presidential candidate by supporting Democrat Joe Biden over Donald Trump, whom it criticized for “rejecting science.”
This year, the magazine issued its second-ever endorsement by supporting Democrat Kamala Harris over Trump. Nonetheless, in the November 5 presidential election, the Republican candidate won decisively, capturing all seven swing states alongside both the popular vote and electoral college.
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Helmuth expressed support for anyone whose most unpleasant and narrow-minded high school classmates are celebrating initial results, adding “forget them completely,” on Bluesky—a platform favored by Democrats—right after the vote.
“I apologize to younger voters for the fact that my Generation X has so many fascists,” she stated in another post, addressing a demographic that supported Trump. She also criticized her home state of Indiana as being “racist and sexist.”
Screenshots of Helmuth’s rant quickly surfaced on X, drawing criticism for her politicization of what was once a leading symbol of American science.
Before resigning, Helmuth tried to separate herself and the magazine from her comments made after the election.
“I have respect and appreciation for individuals from all political backgrounds,” she posted on Bluesky. “The posts, now removed, do not represent my true beliefs; they were an erroneous reaction of shock and confusion regarding the election outcomes.”
She departed two days after Elon Musk, the SpaceX founder and Trump supporter, commented that the magazine “needs a change in management.” His critique wasn’t sparked by Helmuth’s election comments; instead, it was triggered by a researcher’s criticism of what they called a “shockingly moronic sentence” found in an article about a renowned biologist published by the magazine.
