We're up against China and we're screwing around": Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt on Donald Trump's science policies

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has sharply criticized President Donald Trump's administration for what he describes as an "attack on science" that could undermine America's technological competitiveness against China.

"This looks like a total attack on all of science in America," Schmidt said at the recent AI+Biotechnology Summit hosted by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. "We're up against China that is pouring a trillion dollars into this, and we're screwing around with funding the core people to invent our future."

Trump administration had cut funding for universities and research agencies
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has cut funding for government research, reduced staffing at key scientific agencies, and placed financial pressure on universities over their diversity programs and campus protests.

Schmidt warned that many universities are now under "hiring freezes" because they are "so scared of this administration, which appears to be withholding hundreds of millions of dollars from them." This week, the administration froze $2 billion in funding to Harvard University after school leaders refused to comply with demands regarding changes to admissions processes.

The tech executive, who graduated from Princeton University, accused the government of leveraging education funding to "falsely attack science" at a critical moment in the global technology race.

Schmidt also expressed concern about international talent choosing to avoid the United States due to immigration uncertainties. "This madness will eventually end because it's too stupid not to fix, but there's damage occurring already, and I want everyone to understand it's real damage," he said.
While some tech leaders like Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI's Sam Altman have maintained friendly relations with the administration, Schmidt's comments reflect growing tension between parts of the tech community and Trump's science policies.