The U.S. science enterprise has stagnated despite tripling NIH funding since 1998, with returns per dollar declining 80-fold since 1950. Michael Kratsios, Trump's science and technology chief, argues the administration isn't anti-science but anti-politicization—citing $8B wasted on DEI grants, pulled climate models, and a median NIH researcher aged 71. He outlines bold bets (moon by 2028, fusion by 2035, quantum computers by 2028) and warns China's 19x spending increase and 7-of-10 foreign STEM PhDs threaten U.S. dominance. The U.S. wasted roughly $8 billion on DEI-related science grants during the Biden administration, diverting funds from merit-based research and exemplifying science politicization.