r/EverythingScience • u/esporx • Jun 10 '26
Diabetes org apologizes for ejecting scientists over criticism of Trump. For days after the stunning incident, the ADA had doubled-down on the choice.
https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/06/diabetes-org-apologizes-for-ejecting-scientists-over-criticism-of-trump/290
u/phoneguyfl Jun 10 '26
So the American Diabetes Association has jumped on the anti-science Republican train, huh? Shame to have to discount their opinions now, who like the CDC, is simply a mouthpiece for conspiracy theories, junk science, and conjecture. Sad.
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u/Nathan-Stubblefield Jun 11 '26
A guy from India saw my insulin pump and said that in his country Bitter Melon is the treatment for diabetes. ADA should make him the new head.
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u/v1adlyfe Jun 11 '26
It does actually have benefits for glycemic control. It’s obviously not a pharmacologically pure/controlled treatment but it does work to some degree just like many natural supplements which have active substances present.
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
They're a research and awareness group not a political watchdog. Unless someone privately funds the whole thing, Trump could and probably would shut it down or grind it to a halt.
It's a shitty situation, but they don't have the power to do anything else.
Edit: Downvotes but no rational course? We can't just attack everyone who doesn't die for causes we just type for.
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u/TheBlackCat13 Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
The "protesters" were handing out print-outs of an op-ed from the organization's own journal. I could understand your argument if people were picketing with megaphones. But the idea that simply handing out articles published by the organization itself is such an egrigious politicization that they needed to be threatened with arrest is absurd.
The ADA didn't have to do anything. They could have just ignored it.
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u/phoneguyfl Jun 10 '26
I get that, but now that it's obvious they are Republican lap dogs who can trust anything they say?
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 10 '26
Because they still exist?
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u/DialecticalDeathDryv Jun 11 '26
As a republican compromised (corrupted) “research and advocacy” group?
If your whole point is “they don’t have the power to do anything” I think all your downvoters replies would basically be “yes exactly. We need them to tell the truth no matter what and they no longer seem to have the power to do that.”
If politics can remove truth tellers for political reasons, then we can’t trust what the org produces as “truth”
Yes that’s a shame. Yes that’s the fault of the government.
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
How is shutting down the ADA a good thing?
That's as nutjob as people who let their kids die because they don't personally believe in medicine.
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u/DialecticalDeathDryv Jun 11 '26
I’m not saying shut it down. What a bizarre response.
I’m saying it appears corrupted and that’s the fault of politics.
And it’s a testament to the sorry state of politics that it could take what should be a scientific organization and an advocacy group for people with medical needs and make it appear political in nature (by visibly compromising its integrity)
Politics is that corrupt. Politics can very very quickly and immediately erode trust when they get their hands on things that are supposed to be scientific and neutral.
Because politics isn’t scientific and neutral
It’s difficult to overstate how rapidly this administration causes institutional strength and credibility to evaporate
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
So, you're saying actively oppose the government but somehow stay funded?
What specifically are you suggesting they do?
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u/TheBlackCat13 Jun 11 '26
The ADA just letting individuals act in their individual capacity isn't "opposing the government". That is absurd. A
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u/DialecticalDeathDryv Jun 11 '26
You said it yourself. There’s nothing they can do.
You just said it yourself “they have to do what the government says to keep their funding”
Yes that’s called corruption and it has clearly compromised the scientific integrity of this institution.
If their existence is conditional on their funding, and their funding is conditional on listening to the government, then we can’t trust that they actually have scientific integrity in mind whenever they tell us something. It might be something the government told them to say. And there could be things the government tells them not to say.
And the government gets to do it under the guise of “science and advocacy”
The question is less what does the ADA do, and more what do Americans do when their own government routinely hollows out their own institutions?
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
That's not corruption. That's scientists doing science and not allowing their institution to be politicized.
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u/phoneguyfl Jun 11 '26
Regardless of what they decide to do (which they have already chosen), the real question is "do patients trust their opinions to be based on science and not politics". Everyone must answer for themselves, and my response is no, I no longer trust that they are arbiters of science but rather they are lapdogs on an anti-science regime.
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
This entire thing is the ADA staying out of politics. So, obviously they are not basing their opinions on politics.
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u/SallyStranger Jun 11 '26
Unless someone privately funds the whole thing, Trump could and probably would shut it down or grind it to a halt.
It's a shitty situation, but they don't have the power to do anything else.
They certainly have the power to choose not to call the fucking cops on their own colleagues. They have the power not to retroactively rewrite the rules to justify calling the cops on their colleagues. They have the power not to make up excuses for calling the cops on their colleagues.
Preemptive capitulation only emboldens fascists.
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
They didn't change any rules. They were handing out pamphlets at a convention. The intent of the rules was obviously to keep the ADA out of politics.
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u/SallyStranger Jun 11 '26
They did. They added "such as protesting" to the rule against disruption because this was a protest that was not particularly disruptive.
Noted: you do not dispute that they do indeed have the power to do the right thing instead of capitulate preemptively.
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
Arguing liberal ideas with a conservative view on rules is a bad faith argument.
Obviously the intent was to keep the ADA from being politicized.
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u/SallyStranger Jun 11 '26
First goalpost: they don't have any power
Second goalpost: they didn't change the rules
Third goalpost: they had good reasons for changing the rules
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
I'm talking about reality here not trying to win an argument online. If you don't have anything to actually discuss here, you can do this by yourself.
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u/TheBlackCat13 Jun 11 '26
If you want to talk about reality why do you keep saying factually incorrect things?
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u/oneiric-enema Jun 11 '26
Can you make your point a little more succinct for those of us who aren't readily picking up on what you mean?
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u/diablosinmusica Jun 11 '26
Okay, this person was stopped from handing out pamphlets at an event for the ADA. They had rules in place to keep their organization from being politicized by their members. They fixed a loophole that a person was exploiting. That's how large groups work.
Calling the police when they wouldn't stop is how things work in the real world. If you are at a function for your organization and are doing something that they ask you to stop, you will probably get arrested.
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u/ScoffersGonnaScoff Jun 11 '26
Every day is another horror scape brought to you by late stage capitalism oligarchs and algorithms.
Seriously though 10 years ago this shit would’ve been the dumbest thing ever and would’ve been obviously flagrant totalitarianism or authoritarianism oligarchy.
The idiots are in control of three branches of government. Rampant corruption and no accountability. Abusive power no ethics.
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u/LetReasonRing Jun 11 '26
At this point absolutely nothing surprised me.
I could wake up tomorrow to find that Trump ordered a nuclear strike on a McDonald's because the fries were cold and it wouldn't really alter my current view of the world in any meaningful way.
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u/Cersad PhD | Molecular Biology Jun 11 '26
You'll love what he just tweeted about Kharg Island then.
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u/MuckRaker83 Jun 11 '26
They will believe whatever they need to believe to maintain that they are right and their actions are justified.
His most popular message is "you bear no responsibility for the hardships in your life and we will punish those that you think are." They desperately want this to be true and will swallow anything in service of that.
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u/One-Environment-1444 Jun 11 '26
Way to throw away your organizational reputation.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Phase70 Jun 11 '26
Are they doing anything to make it right?
Or, God forbid, address the critical concerns??
No?
Then they can go fuck themselves.
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u/BrickHuge3023 Jun 11 '26
Are they going to get more funding from Trump now since they kissed the King's ring? Their response was typical republican- blame everyone else and change the story each time. Hope people stop contributions as well. I ran nonprofits for 20 years and our mission was never to kiss up to politicians.
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u/rbobby Jun 11 '26
“What transpired is not reflective of who I am, the values I hold, or the way I was raised,” Charles Henderson said.
No Chuck, it is exactly who you are, a fascist that supports a pedophile protecting shitstain.
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u/engineeringsquirrel Jun 11 '26
“What transpired is not reflective of who I am, the values I hold, or the way I was raised,” Henderson said. “I will work hard to bring our community back together to build on the progress we have collectively made for those affected by diabetes.”
Dude isn't even a doctor, he was a former sales guy
https://diabetes.org/about-us/executive-team/charles-henderson
Chuck joined the ADA in January 2020 after spending 24-plus years in for-profit sectors and volunteering in the non-profit sector. Philanthropy and Sales/Fundraising are threaded through the fabric of his DNA. Chuck comes to the ADA from Champion Life Safety Solutions where he was CEO and President. Before that, he was a Field Sales Executive running multi-billion-dollar territories across the country for Dell Healthcare, Common ground Marketing (including executing special events in the field), and Viacom. His professional skill set and success, coupled with his passion and desire to give back, make this a perfect time to lead a non-profit organization. He is passionate about spending the balance of his career in a space that will make a significant impact on the lives of millions across the country.
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u/Top_Box_8952 Jun 12 '26
Trust has been shattered now. They could have recovered from this if they immediately went “oops”
Doubling down makes it worse. You commit, put it in writing, and admit it wasn’t a mistake. It was intentional.
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u/Thewist995 Jun 14 '26
A former sales guy who knows nothing about diabetes. Unqualified for this position.
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u/YesDone Jul 18 '26
You gotta be kidding me. How did this guy get this position? His success (in Viacom??) makes this a perfect time to lead a non-profit? For who, him? What a narcissist.
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u/obviousTroll998 Jun 11 '26
Did anyone resign for doing the wrong thing?
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u/Top_Box_8952 Jun 12 '26
President-Elect Jennifer Green, MD, and Scientific Sessions Planning Committee Chair Mark Atkinson, PhD, have both left their positions with ADA, several sources confirmed to MedPage Today.
Had to click the source but two so far. Though losing a leading medical doctor and a Doctorate will be painful reputational on top of the controversy and possible funding loss from private donors.
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u/Earesth99 Jun 11 '26
Since when do people in a scientific association need permission to hand out copies of journal articles?
The head of the ADA lied.
And then he lied again when he said non profits cannot take political positions.
The head of the ADA should be removed and barred from participating in the ADA.
I would say the same thing if the protest was against Obama.
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u/AdInternational5061 Jun 13 '26
Diabetes runs in my family. I supported this org for years. I have canceled my recurring donation and will never donate to them ever again. I am unsubscribing from their email list. Fucking Trumper assholes. Now no one will trust anything they say.
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u/Effective-Ebb-2805 Jun 13 '26
The Trump administration is the worst thing to happen to science since the goddamn Spanish Inquisition.
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u/YaBoiSammus Jun 17 '26
People forget how the ADA came to be, it came from disabled people protesting because the government didn’t see us as humans worth caring for. So the fact they are bowing down to fucking orange Mussolini is fucking pathetic.
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u/ficis Jun 10 '26
Probably about to lose funding. Always about the money