The Mathematician Lifting the Lid on Trump's "Attacks"
6 days ago
- #authoritarianism
- #data analysis
- #Trump Action Tracker
- Christina Pagel transitioned from space physics to public health and then to tracking Donald Trump's policy decisions.
- She created the Trump Action Tracker, logging over 2,500 actions threatening American democracy since January 2025.
- Pagel's background in statistics helps her systematically categorize and analyze the Trump administration's actions.
- The tracker serves as a contemporaneous record for journalists and historians, free from commentary.
- 404 recorded actions relate to Trump's control of science and health; 185 target universities and cultural institutions.
- Pagel believes universities are attacked because they foster resistance to authoritarian regimes and critical thinking.
- Her motivation stems from her German-British identity and her parents' background in Nazi Germany.
- Pagel sees her work as a necessary effort, even if not highly impactful, due to the lack of alternatives.