One of the defining features of Donald Trump’s second term is an aggressive drive to control the narrative, in part by burying inconvenient evidence. A key example is his regime’s multi-pronged assault on federal data infrastructure and independent institutions that safeguard public knowledge. In just its first hundred days, Trump’s regime has laid siege to federal data agencies, eliminated or drastically overhauled key reports, ceased collecting crucial information, and pressured scientists and statisticians to alter findings that conflict with the Trumpian political narrative.

These attacks on government statistics pose a threat to democratic accountability, one that will unmoor demands for change by making it harder for the public to keep track of how much the goalposts have moved and how much damage is currently occurring. Trump’s approach is notably distinct from that of previous administrations; while US politicians have long attempted to spin and cherry-pick data to suit their political ends, Trump has sought to erase information that does not fit his agenda. This authoritarian approach to government data is incompatible with a functioning democracy.

The US Census Bureau, already hollowed out by years of underfunding, has faced deeper hiring freezes and staffing cuts under Trump’s second term. These cuts threaten to slow field operations, delay key releases, and reduce oversight for data accuracy. Trump officials have also eschewed subject matter expertise by disbanding many of the Census Bureau’s outside advisory committees. Even more alarmingly, the Trump regime has brazenly disregarded privacy norms in its attempts to........

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