Since the new Trump administration put a gag order on several federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, this week, the response by career scientists inside the government has been astounding.
Most famously so far, Badlands National Park in South Dakota, took note of President Donald Trump’s stated skepticism about man-made climate change and defied the order. The Badlands Twitter account tweeted, then later deleted a series of facts about climate science.
It’s actually routine for a new administration to pause external communications by government agencies for a short while as political leaders review previous policy. And one of the department supposedly silenced, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reportedly has a longstanding policy that scientists much clear public statements with their superiors.
The National Park Service and the White House blamed the Badlands subversion on a former employee, but it’s hard to silence everybody in the age of social media.
Enter @BadlandsNPSFans on Twitter, complete with “National Snark Service” logo. Description: “Shmofficial fake feed of South Dakota’s Badlands National Park (Great Again™ Edition) Account not run by park employees, current or former, so leave them alone.”
@BadHombreLandsNPS (“Protecting rugged scenery, fossil beds, 244,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie & wildlife from two-bit cheetoh-hued despots”) also got in on the fun, taking “bad hombre” from a line Trump used in one of the presidential debates last fall. Fans have been referring to the park as “Badasslands National Park.”
That has spawned similar accounts such as @Alt_NASA, AltEPA, @AltNatParkSer on Twitter and Facebook pages like Rogue NASA. The latter is not exactly a fan of the nation’s new leadership.
HHS and its sub-agencies have gotten into the action as well. @AltHHS describes itself as “Unofficial and unaffiliated resistance account by concerned scientists for humanity.” It has more than 70,000 followers as of late Thursday afternoon. And the humans behind it do not like Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, or the administration’s plan to do away with the Affordable Care Act.
POTUS & VP want to silence health facts, Didn't Pence learn his lesson when he triggered an HIV outbreak as Gov.? https://t.co/doeTJohNsc
— Alt HHS (@AltHHS) January 26, 2017
Obesity costs the US $146B/yr. Improve our health. THAT'S how you cut costs. #FactsNotFear #HealthNotHate https://t.co/c0lQGG3IcW
— Alt HHS (@AltHHS) January 26, 2017
Within HHS, Twitter now has @alt_FDA (“Uncensored FDA”), @Alt_CDC (“Unofficial unaffiliated resistance account by concerned scientists for humanity”) and @AltNIH.
Those have been less vicious. The AltNIH account has not tweeted yet and the FDA one is at least being patient.
Good morning everyone, we hope this account will be quiet as we wait 2 see what the POTUS does next. Maybe another executive order, maybe 5.
— AltFDA (@alt_fda) January 26, 2017
Alt_CDC is being political for sure, though it’s at least talking policy when it’s not retweeting others.
The mere existence of a "Vaccine Review Committee" would represent a serious threat to global public health. https://t.co/zivMoLTNXr
— Alternative CDC (@Alt_CDC) January 25, 2017
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