Editor of oldest US magazine resigns following anti-Trump outburst
Date
11/18/2024 6:22:50 AM
(MENAFN) Laura Helmuth, the editor-in-chief of *Scientific American*, resigned after facing backlash for a series of social media posts in which she referred to those who voted for President-elect Donald trump as “fascists.” Helmuth had been with the magazine since 2020, and her departure was announced on Thursday after she had served as editor for 4.5 years. She stated that she would be taking time off to reflect and pursue hobbies like birdwatching.
Under Helmuth’s leadership, *Scientific American* became known for publicly endorsing Political candidates, including Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. Helmuth’s comments about the election and voters’ support for Trump sparked outrage online, with critics accusing her of politicizing the respected scientific publication. One of her posts on Bluesky expressed solidarity with people upset by the election results, while another criticized Trump supporters as “fascists” and condemned her home state of Indiana for being “racist and sexist.”
Although Helmuth deleted the posts and apologized for her comments, explaining they were a misguided reaction to the election results, her resignation came two days after Elon Musk, a supporter of Trump, called for changes in *Scientific American*'s leadership. Musk’s criticism was triggered by an unrelated issue about the magazine's coverage of a biologist’s work.
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