Dozens of American winners of the Nobel Prize are backing Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The 81 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine officially endorsed the Democratic candidate in an open letter released Wednesday.
“At no time in our nation’s history has there been a greater need for our leaders to appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy,” read the letter. According to CNN, the campaign was organized by Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), the only physicist in Congress.
“During his long record of public service, Joe Biden has consistently demonstrated his willingness to listen to experts, his understanding of the value of international collaboration in research, and his respect for the contribution that immigrants make to the intellectual life of our country,” the letter said. “As American citizens and as scientists, we wholeheartedly endorse Joe Biden for President.”
Harold Varmus, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, and Frances Arnold, the first American woman to win the prize in chemistry in 2018, are among the signatories.
The statement made no reference to President Donald Trump, whose botched response to the coronavirus pandemic has been fiercely criticized.
Trump for months ignored the advice of public health experts and downplayed the health risks posed by COVID-19. He then demanded the premature reopening of schools and businesses and sent mixed messages on measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus, such as wearing face masks.
The disease has now killed more than 180,000 people nationwide.
Biden, meanwhile, has said he will “listen to the scientists” on COVID-19 should he move into the White House in January.
Seventy winners of the Nobel Prize also expressed their support for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 election. In an open letter, they warned of the “profound consequences” of the vote.
“To preserve our freedoms, protect our constitutional government, safeguard our national security and ensure that all members of our nation will be able to work together for a better future, it is imperative that Hillary Clinton be elected as the next President of the United States,” they wrote at the time.
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