Laura Helmuth is resigning as editor-in-chief of Scientific American magazine following an expletive-filled rant about Donald Trump voters. Posting on Bluesky, an X rival, Helmuth said Thursday that she’s “decided to leave Scientific American after an exciting 4.5 years as editor in chief” without mentioning her previous comments.
In a series of now-deleted posts on the same platform, she called Trump voters the “meanest, dumbest, most bigoted” group and “fascists” following the former president’s reelection last week. Her comments went viral on X and were criticized on the increasingly right-wing platform.
Helmuth had apologized in a separate post, calling them “offensive and inappropriate” and that they don’t “reflect the position” of Scientific American.
“I respect and value people across the political spectrum,” Helmuth wrote. “These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results.”
Kimberly Lau, president of Scientific American, said in a statement to CNN that it was Helmuth’s decision to leave and a search for her replacement is underway. “We thank Laura for her four years leading Scientific American during which time the magazine won major science communications awards and saw the establishment of a reimagined digital newsroom,” Lau said in the statement. “We wish her well for the future.”
With 179 years in print so far, Scientific American says it’s the “oldest continuously published magazine” in the United States and has published pieces from more than 200 Nobel winners.
This year, for only the second time in its history, the magazine published a presidential endorsement, voicing its support for Kamala Harris and saying Trump “endangers public health and safety and rejects evidence, preferring instead nonsensical conspiracy fantasies.”
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