RFK Jr threatens publishing ban for government scientists

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has said he may prohibit researchers at government institutions from submitting their work to major medical journals, raising fresh tensions between the federal agency and the broader scientific community.

Speaking Tuesday, Kennedy floated the idea of establishing alternative, government-run journals in place of established titles. He said the potential ban would apply to publications seen as influential, including The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA, which he criticized as being under the sway of commercial interests.

The move would mark a significant shift in federal research policy and deepen the Trump administration’s pattern of clashes with long-standing scientific institutions. Kennedy said the aim was to provide platforms for “legitimate” science, arguing that current publications are compromised by industry ties.