As the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election is just a few months away, in an open letter on Wednesday (September 2), 81 Nobel laureates expressed whom they want to see as the next President of the U.S. after November voting.
The Nobel Prize winners endorsed the Democratic nominee Joe Biden's White House bid for president in the letter while pointing out his "deep appreciation for using science to find solutions."
The Nobel laureates, who have won the prestigious award in Chemistry, Medicine, and Physics since 1975, praised the former Vice President of the U.S. for his "willingness to listen to experts" to back decisions based on science and facts, including during the global Coronavirus pandemic. The letter reads:
At no time in our nation's history has there been a greater need for our leaders to appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy.
During his long record of public service, Joe Biden has consistently demonstrated his willingness to listen to experts, his understanding of the value of international collaboration in research, and his respect for the contribution that immigrants make to the intellectual life of our country.
Nobel Laureates and U.S. Election
According to Biden campaign, 70 Nobel Prize winners endorsed former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, while in the 2008 election, 76 Nobel laureates endorsed former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Illinois Democratic Rep Bill Foster, the only physicist on Capitol Hill, is the person who organized all of the Nobel laureates to endorse Biden. However, as per the Biden campaign, the signatories represent the largest group of Nobel prize winners to endorse a candidate for the office.
Nobel winners last year such as John B. Goodenough (Chemistry), M. Stanley Whittingham (Chemistry), William G. Kaelin Jr. (Medicine), Gregg L. Semenza (Medicine), and James Peebles (Physics), are among the 81 laureates who expressed their support for former Vice President by signing the open letter.
Trump Administration and The U.S.
The Coronavirus pandemic has seen over six million cases and more than 180,000 fatalities in the U.S. as of Wednesday. Ever since the pandemic hit the U.S., critics have been slamming President Donald Trump and his administration for the handling of the emergency situation, Trump's recommendation to use hydroxychloroquine and bleach as a cure for the virus, and the slow response to the healthcare crisis.
On the other hand, Biden has taken the opportunity to criticize Trump during his campaign, calling the President of the U.S. to listen to the scientists before making any decision. The open letter signed by Nobel prize winners came after a report said one of the Trump's top medical advisers was urging the White House to embrace a controversial "herd immunity" strategy to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roger Kornberg, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006, said in a statement that multiple crises facing the country, including one of misinformation, needs a leader with profound admiration for science, as well as for truth. "I support Joe Biden's pro-science agenda and sensible approach to public health decisions," said the Nobel laureate.
Another Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn, who received the award in Medicine said, "Now more than ever, our country needs elected leaders who make decisions based on science." She added that Biden is the "strong, compassionate leader" which is needed to tackle the pandemic. "He'll listen to the scientific and medical community to create solutions that will finally get us out of this deadly pandemic and improve the health of the American people," the Nobel laureate said.
