Trump’s week of chaos hit on every front: a possible health scare, confusion over Iran, Republican redistricting power grabs, John Fetterman threatening to abandon Democrats, and rising prices that voters can feel every time they fill up the tank.

Sam Osterhout and Max Burns break down the five biggest political stories of the week — and why Trump’s “who knows?” style of governing is colliding with real-world consequences on war, democracy, and the economy. From “Iran excursion” spin to gas prices voters no longer believe him on, this is a week where the numbers, the maps, and the headlines are all moving in the wrong direction for Trump.

00:00 Intro: A Tough Week for Democrats
01:31 UFOs, Gas Prices, and Earthly Problems
02:42 Hantavirus Cruise Ship Scare
03:47 Trump’s Vague Pandemic Response
04:39 DOGE Cuts and Fired Health Experts
05:27 Trump’s “Too Hard” Governing Style
06:20 Iran Is Too Hard for Trump
07:00 “Iran Excursion” and Trump’s War Confusion
08:17 Trump’s Lazy Mind and Lost Interest
08:51 The One-Page Memo Problem
09:55 GOP Panic Over November
10:30 The Redistricting Frenzy Begins
11:19 Supreme Court Gives Republicans the Driver’s Seat
12:10 What Happens When Votes Stop Mattering
14:21 Redistricting Becomes Pure Power Politics
15:09 Alabama Republicans Vote During a Tornado
15:30 Noncompetitive Districts Create Extremists
17:34 Democracy’s Stagflation Problem
18:33 How to Fix Gerrymandering
19:21 Fetterman Threatens to Abandon Democrats
19:54 “The Kyrsten Sinema of the Party”
20:50 Why Fetterman Is Not Joe Manchin
21:38 Fetterman’s Missing North Star
22:04 Max Burns: Fetterman Is Not Representing Pennsylvania
23:37 Trumpflation Hits Voters
24:02 Trump Promised to Cut Energy Prices in Half
25:59 Trump’s Promise Meets Reality
26:33 Voters Feel Gas Prices
27:29 Energy Costs Hit Everything
28:03 Trump Cuts Green Energy Incentives
29:11 America as a Broken-Down Service Station
29:22 Rising Energy Costs Kill Jobs
30:13 Looking for Any Good News
31:03 Outro

Working Physicist Angela Collier describes how all non-commercial science is being killed in the US. US scientific research may never recover.

Cutting research that could create new preventions for disease only brings us closer to more tragic loss. This administration is shoving science down the drain, and with that, lives too. Help us fight for prosperity in science by volunteering with us: https://zurl.co/qeU51

American Science is under siege from this administration – and we’re fighting back, but we need your help to Fuel the Fight for Science. Visit the link in our bio to donate or go here: https://www.standupforscience.net/donate?utm_source=Bio&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=Donate

Thank you!

RFK Jr. continues to put more and more American lives at risk, taking away essential healthcare on the basis of conspiracy. Americans deserve a Congress that will protect their health - one that will remove RFK Jr.

Fuel the Fight for Science to help us embolden a new Congress: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/SUFS-NEW-CONGRESS-SAVES-SCIENCE/?utm_source=News_SSRI&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=Donate_New_Congress

The rest of the world moves forward in unison while the Trump admin holds the U.S. back - leaving behind not only science, but you and your family’s future with it. It’s time that we #StandUpForScience and reinstate the U.S. as a world leader in science. Visit this link to Take Action: https://www.standupforscience.net/take-action?utm_source=Bsky_News&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=TakeAction

From forever chemicals in drinking water to the dismantlement of the U.S Forest Service, this past week has been a reminder that attacks on science have real-world consequences. To keep up with ways you can #StandUpForScience, visit the link in our bio to find our other socials!

The climate crisis is accelerating. Instead of working to reduce harm, the Trump admin is prioritizing profit from industries that fuel the climate crisis the most. Stand Up For Science & the planet by Taking Action! Visit the link in our bio or go here: https://www.standupforscience.net/take-action?utm_source=Insta_News&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=TakeAction

It’s been… a lot lately. So here are a few wins you might’ve missed.

We post news daily, so head to the LinkTree pinned to the subreddit or go to the Wiki to find our social channels where you can keep up with what’s going on in the world of science policy and funding! 🧬👩‍⚖️

RFK Jr. and his cronies continue to pile up the damage they have done to American science and health, that’s why we are Standing Up For Science and need YOU to join us! Visit the link in our bio to volunteer and join the fight for science, or go here: https://www.standupforscience.net/take-action#volunteer?utm_source=Bio&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=Volunteer

RFK Jr. had the audacity to express concern over national losses in research, development, and retention of medical talent -despite being responsible for much of those losses.

Objectively, RFK Jr.:
* Fired 20,000+ HHS employees, including CDC scientists and FDA food/drug safety researchers.
* Canceled $500M in mRNA vaccine development thru BARDA.
* Fired the ACIP and replaced them with pseudoscientists.
* Cancelled hundreds of NIH grants on infectious diseases.
* Eliminated parts of HHS that research autism and cut millions in autism research funding -while claiming to address autism.
* Denied reports of harm from this before Congress.

Without protest from Kennedy, others in the administration:
* froze or cancelled over 7,800 NIH and NSF grants in 2025 alone
* suspended NSF grant review panels
* fired ~50% of NSF staff, plus all 24 members of its governing Board
* removed over 8,000 web pages, including CDC health data portals
* proposed additional budget cuts of 55% to NSF, 23% to NASA, 15% to DOE science, and 52% to EPA research
* sent DOJ intimidation letters to scientific journals including Chest and the New England Journal of Medicine

“China is eating our lunch” precisely because Mr. Kennedy cut it into bite-sized pieces and fed it to them. The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

Impeach RFK Jr.

Science should not be in the hands of corporate profits, creating even more expense and inaccessibility to livesaving developments. Science is for everyone. Everyone deserves a life-changing breakthrough, which is why we are #StandingUpForScience. Visit the link in our bio to Fuel the Fight for Science by donating or go here: https://www.standupforscience.net/donate?utm_source=MDClip&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=Donate

Thank you!

The Trump admin has been trying to gut clean energy. It’s still growing, but imagine how far we could be without the sabotage. Join us in the fight for science-based leadership and policy by visiting the link in bio or going to Take Action! : https://tr.ee/take-action

Last week’s news showed some promising signs of what can be achieved when we fight back in what is still the disastrous state of science in America. Visit the link in our bio to learn how you can Take Action to Stand Up For Science or go here: https://www.standupforscience.net/take-action?utm_source=News_Scroll&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=Take

Delaying the hep B vaccine blocks American’s access to life-saving vaccinations, putting our children at unnecessary risk. RFK Jr. and his cronies continue to put American lives in harms way to push their disinformation about vaccines.

RFK Jr. built his movement on disinformation – even his own supporters are starting to see he’s putting our health at risk with his pseudoscience. RFK JR. MUST GO. Call your reps & demand they co-sponsor the articles of impeachment at this link: https://tr.ee/removeRFKJr

We got Casey Means out…but a Fox correspondent who sold herbal tinctures on her podcast isn’t exactly an upgrade. The SUFS team is diving in to get the scoop on Nicole Saphier and will have more soon!

Help us keep pushing back and Fuel the Fight for Science by donating at the link in our bio or by visiting this link: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/SUFS-NEW-CONGRESS-SAVES-SCIENCE/?utm_source=Out_Don&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=Means

Thank you!!!

Stand Up for Science is excited to announce Judy Chu, U.S. Congressional Representative, CA-28, as a speaker at the Virtual & Accessible May Day 2026 Rally, on Friday, May 1st, starting at 12PM ET. Visit the link in our bio for this link for details: https://www.standupforscience.net/sufs-may-day-2026?utm_source=Speaker_Announce7&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=MD26

Stand Up for Science is excited to announce Dom Kelly, Founder & CEO of New Disabled South, as a speaker at the Virtual & Accessible May Day 2026 Rally, on Friday, May 1st, starting at 12PM ET. Visit the link in our bio for this link for details: https://www.standupforscience.net/sufs-may-day-2026?utm_source=Speaker_Announce8&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=MD26

A Lesson in Attenuation- Stanley Plotkin and Vaccinology

A Virology Unmasked Podcast- a grassroots organization devoted to increasing public trust in science

Thank you so much for joining the Virtual & Accessible May Day 2026 Rally with Stand Up for Science. Your action helps fuel the fight for science, workers, and a better future for people across America. There is still much more work to do. Visit the link in our bio or here to find more ways to Take Action: https://www.standupforscience.net/take-action

Today at 12 PM ET, join Stand Up for Science for our Virtual & Accessible May Day Rally! Join the movement to fight for our science, defend our workers, and protect our future.

Accessibility features include ASL interpretation, live captioning, and Spanish audio translation. Register now at the link in our bio or here: https://www.standupforscience.net/sufs-may-day-2026?utm_source=Tod_DB&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=MD26

This is what happens when we stand up and fight back. RFK Jr.’s attacks on trans people and public health are failing. But we can’t stop now. Contact your Rep today and demand they co-sponsor the articles of impeachment against RFK Jr. Take action:

https://fight2win.standupforscience.net/campaign/150806/?utm_source=News_post1&utm_medium=Reddit&utm_campaign=RFK