Speaking at the AI+Biotechnology Summit hosted by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology last week, Schmidt said a series of recent policy decisions by the Trump administration amount to a broader assault on science and education, potentially undermining the country’s innovation capacity.
The report added, Schmidt said, “This looks like a total attack on all of science in America,” criticising the administration for what he described as politically motivated cuts and interventions. “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.”
Schmidt, who also served as chair of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, said that US actions—ranging from slashing research funding and tightening immigration controls to freezing university grants—could discourage global talent and slow technological progress.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration froze $2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University after the institution declined to alter its admissions process in line with demands linked to immigration coordination.
The administration has also targeted higher education institutions for their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and stance on pro-Palestinian protests.
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“These kinds of efforts chill innovation,” said Schmidt, adding that several international tech professionals he knows are now choosing to relocate elsewhere, including the United Kingdom, over concerns about the US regulatory and political climate.While tech leaders such as Meta chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have maintained cordial ties with the administration, Schmidt’s remarks mark a sharp departure.
