The editor-in-chief of Scientific American, the US’s oldest magazine, has announced her resignation following a series of online posts in which she called some of Donald Trump’s supporters “fascists” and “bigots”.
In a post on Bluesky Thursday, Laura Helmuth, who was originally appointed editor-in-chief of the magazine in 2020, said: “I have decided to leave Scientific American after an exciting 4.5 years as editor-in-chief. I’m going to take some time to think about what comes next (and go bird watching).”
Helmuth’s resignation comes after a series of expletive-filled posts on Nov. 5 — election night — in which she criticized those who voted for Trump.
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In her since-deleted posts on Bluesky, Helmuth wrote: “Every four years I remember why I left Indiana (where I grew up) and remember why I respect the people who stayed and try to make it less racist and sexist. The moral arc of the universe will not bend itself.”
She added: “Solidarity for everyone whose meanest, dumbest and most fanatical high school classmates are celebrating their first results because they’re getting fucked to the moon and back.”
“I apologize to the younger voters that my Generation X is so full of damn fascists,” Helmuth continued.
Following her posts, Helmuth issued a public apology, writing about Bluesky: “I posted a series of offensive and inappropriate messages on my personal Bluesky account on election night, and I am sorry. I respect and appreciate people across the political spectrum.
“These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a false expression of shock and confusion about the election results. These posts obviously do not reflect the position of Scientific American or my colleagues. I value civil communication and editorial objectivity,” she added.
Despite her apology, Helmuth’s posts gained popularity among conservative voters online, with staunch Trump ally and X owner Elon Musk accusing her of being a political activist who has taken over a scientific institution.
A week after her apology, Helmuth announced her resignation. In a statement to multiple media outlets, Kimberly Lau, the magazine’s president, said: “We thank Laura for her four years leading Scientific American, during which time the magazine won major science communications awards and saw the creation of a redesigned digital newsroom .”
During Helmuth’s time as editor-in-chief and for the first time in 175 years, Scientific American decided to endorse a presidential candidate – Joe Biden – in 2020. This year, the magazine endorsed Kamala Harris, saying Trump is “endangering public health and safety and dismisses evidence, preferring instead nonsensical conspiracy fantasies.”
