Being scientist is ideally a quest for finding truth or at least try that. We are in an era where the truth is considered very political and there are very clear indications that in the US funding science and scientists in general is not welcomed anymore. Calls for dismantling NSF/NIH is not hiding or their proponents are shy from expressing what they are trying to pursue.
The idea that politics and science as a practice is separated is a myth.
Also, griefing scientists, academics and the "educated elite" has been a priority to Republicans for at least a decade. They specifically run on platforms of "sticking it to those snobby experts," and their electorate eat it up. We've seen a huge anti-intellectual and anti-expertise cultural shift in the last 10 years.
