Trump directs OMB's Vought to draft order centralizing NIH grant control
Politico reports Trump asked budget director Russell Vought to draft an executive order pulling health research funding decisions under presidential control.
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What to know
- Politico reports Trump asked OMB Director Russell Vought to draft an executive order centralizing control of NIH health research grants.
- The move is linked to ongoing tension over NIH funding involving NIH leadership and Harvard University.
- Details of the order's scope and timing have not been made public in the available coverage.
Donald Trump PresidentRussell Vought OMB Director / budget chief
Jay Bhattacharya NIH DirectorHarvard University Research institution
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlespostscomments
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Politico reports Trump sought order on NIH funding control
Politico reported that Trump asked budget chief Russell Vought to draft an executive order bringing health research funding under his control, amid disputes touching NIH leadership and Harvard.
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6 outlets Trump orders plan for White House board to approve NIH grants, tightening control of $48B budget
first by KOMO, 3d ago · also NYT, NYT Health, NYT Science, Boston Globe, The Hill
7 more headlines
- White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants Mastodon · 3d ago
- White House moves to take control of NIH grants Boston Globe · 2d ago
- White House drafting executive order to take over NIH grant approvals: Reports The Hill · 2d ago
- Collins urges White House not to move forward with NIH grant proposal The Hill · 12h ago
- Collins: White House backing down from NIH grant order The Hill · 9h ago
- White House Backtracks on Plan to Exert New Control Over N.I.H. Grants NYT · 8h ago
- White House backtracks on plan to exert new control over NIH grants Boston Globe · 7h ago
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4 outlets first by Politico, 4d ago · also The Hindu, Reuters, HuffPost · read ↗
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Breaking News: Federal officials are drafting an executive order that would help cement President Trump’s ability to control billions of dollars in scientific grants funded by the National Institutes of Health.
2 more of the top 3 · 23 posts in this stretch
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"The NIH last year cut hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding for health issues in minority, gay and transgender communities. The agency has also revamped its grant-making process under Trump, issuing fewer grants on issues such as women’s health." https://www. washingtonpost.com/politics/20…
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You have the power, this election, to prevent child rapists from taking control of NIH grants. As a condition of getting RNC funding, every Republican has sworn an oath to a child rapist. You can fight that by voting for a Democrat... or an Independent if a Democrat is not on the ballot. Any other option, including not voting, empowers child…
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by theguardian.com, 3d ago · also Guardian Science, Guardian
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first by New Republic, 2d ago · also CIDRAP
1 more headline
- Trump pushes for more control over NIH research dollars CIDRAP · 1d ago
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2 outlets Congressional appropriators warn Trump plan for veto authority over NIH grants would violate law
first by Washington Times, 2d ago · also Newsweek
1 more headline
- Susan Collins warns Trump on NIH grant plan as polls show tight Maine race Currently.com · 1d ago
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first by Politico, 2d ago
1 more headline
- Collins: White House drops effort to politicize health research grants politico.com · 9h ago
and 5 smaller pieces
What people are saying 19 voices from 3 sites · best of 23 · verbatim
- Yesterday
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# WhiteHouse Backtracks on Plan to Exert New Control Over N.I.H. # Grants N.I.H. is the nation’s largest # research agency, which disburses much of its $48 billion annual budget to labs and academic # researchers who study # cancer , infectious diseases and other # health priorities. # nih https://www. nytimes.com/2026/09/23/us/poli…
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"Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday urged Trump administration officials to not proceed with an executive order that would give the White House political control over scientific grants at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)." https:// thehill.com/policy/healthcare/…
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The move comes after Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, pressured the Office of Management and Budget to abandon the effort outright. Read more from David Lim, Burgess Everett, and Shelby Talcott:
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🟡 SCOOP: The Trump administration is backing off its initial plan for an executive order that would give the president greater influence over decisionmaking on National Institutes of Health grants.
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Exclusive: Trump administration backing off NIH grant order amid pushback https://www. semafor.com/article/09/23/2026 /trump-administration-backing-off-nih-grant-order-amid-pushback?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Semafor @ semafor-Semafor
- Sep 21
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# WhiteHouse Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. # Grants # RussellVought , the director of the Office of Management and Budget, speaks during a White House event earlier this year. Mr. Vought’s efforts to impose more outside control over N.I.H. grant approvals have resulted in tension with the N.I.H. director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. # nih https://www…
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But don't give Susan Collins any credit. I'm sure she has permission. Collins, Murray speak out against reported Trump push to ‘politicize grantmaking’ https:// thehill.com/policy/healthcare/ 6102442-collins-murray-omb-nih-grants/ # TrumpMustGo # KingOfTreason # RepublicansDidThis # NoRepublicansEverAgain # USPol
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Trump is looking to bring health-research funding under his control, per Politico
- Sep 20
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⚡ NEWS Trump to Form Health Funding Board to Veto 'Woke' Initiatives President Trump is expected to issue an executive order establishing a board to approve National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding. This move aims to align NIH spending with the administration's political agenda by censoring topics deemed 'woke' or contrary to Trump's…
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Make America Great as he says. Those who voted for him will definitely continue to suffer
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What “woke” health initiatives (or any other kind of initiatives) are being considered by the R held legislative branch? Science itself perhaps?
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I support one health initiative so fucking much, it's heart disease. Most of the time I'm rooting against heart disease...
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# TrumpAdministration makes another move to turn # medical research into a political football. This is incredibly dangerous. https://www. nytimes.com/2026/09/20/science /nih-omb-grants-bhattacharya-vought.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share # science
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Trump asked Russ Vought, OMB Director and the devil incarnate, to draft an executive order placing political appointees in charge of NIH grant funding, following the NIH director’s refusal to cut grants to Harvard. https://www. politico.com/news/2026/09/19/n ih-grants-trump-vought-bhattacharya-harvard-01085413
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White House budget chief pushes for scrutiny of NIH grants in Oval Office clash
- Sep 19
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Vought. "NIH last year cut 100s of millions of $ in research funding for health issues in minority, gay, transgender communities. ..+ revamped its grant-making process under Trump, issuing fewer grants on issues such as women’s health. Trump..appeared open to Vought’s criticisms of NIH" RE:
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Vought argued the agency has been funding “woke” priorities and suggested the president create a commission to review grants from the National Institutes of Health. | Yeah…Woke priorities like treating cancer. Vought is exceptionally dangerous. https://www. washingtonpost.com/politics/20 26/09/18/vought-pushes-scrutiny-nih-grants-oval-office-clash/
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Tragic:🚨more # NIH cuts: likely. Vought & other admin ofcls floated an additional review of the agency’s grant-making to Trump, & discussed a potential EO est a comm to review the NIH’s grants. Bhattacharya, dir of the $47B # health agency *largest single funder of biomed res, defended its grant-making proc. Trump appeared open to Vought’s…
- Sep 18
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Vought pushes for scrutiny of NIH grants and budget in Oval Office clash https://www. washingtonpost.com/politics/20 26/09/18/vought-pushes-scrutiny-nih-grants-oval-office-clash/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Politics @ politics-WashPost