Trump 2.0 has deleted or altered nearly 400 US datasets, endangering public health, education and more | US news
US politics | The Guardian — 2026-08-18 05:00:00 — www.theguardian.com
Donald Trump’s administration has aggressively removed or altered hundreds of federal datasets, according to a new online tracker from dataindex.us. Over the past year and a half, at least 28 federal datasets have been deleted and another 338 collections have been modified, with the stated goal of eliminating data findings that do not align with the administration’s priorities.
One of the most significant changes has come through Trump’s executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” As a result, multiple Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys have removed questions about respondents’ gender identity. These include the National HIV Surveillance System, the National Violent Death Reporting System, the CDC Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, and surveys evaluating PrEP uptake among gay men and communities of color. The administration’s actions have also led to the discontinuation of at least four major health datasets, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Drug Abuse Warning Network, which tracked drug-related emergency room visits in near real-time.
Experts warn that these data removals and modifications undermine the nation’s ability to respond to public health crises and other critical issues. Thomas Babor, a public health and addiction specialist, emphasized that “taking down, even temporarily, some of the most important surveys that we have, especially for comparative purposes, is like we’re erasing our institutional memory for public health.”
The tracker, which covers more than 60 federal agencies, shows that health datasets are the most affected, making up about 40% of all terminated or altered collections. Other deleted datasets include the US Department of Agriculture’s survey of farm employers, which informed minimum pay rates for H-2A visa workers, and a National Center for Education Statistics survey on the pay and working conditions of teachers and principals.
The Trump administration’s campaign to remove or alter federal data has raised alarm among data policy experts and researchers, who argue that the loss of critical information will make it harder for American communities to make informed decisions and respond to emerging threats. The full extent of the data deletions remains unknown, as government agencies are not required to notify the public when collections are terminated, and some datasets have been quietly pulled from federal websites with little notice.
In summary, Trump’s executive actions and administrative priorities have led to a sweeping reduction in the availability of federal data, particularly in health, labor, and education. This move has sparked widespread concern about the nation’s ability to address public health, labor rights, and educational challenges, as vital information is being systematically erased or obscured from public view.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/aug/18/trump-federal-data-deleted-altered