A total of 81 Nobel
laureates endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s White House bid
in an open letter released Wednesday, pointing to his “deep appreciation for
using science to find solutions.”
The Nobel
Prize winners, who have won in chemistry, medicine and physics dating back to
1975, praised Biden for his “willingness to listen to experts” and to back
decisions based on science, including during the global coronavirus pandemic.
The signatories represent the largest group of Nobel laureates to endorse a
candidate for office, according to the Biden campaign.
"At no
time in our nation's history has there been a greater need for our leaders to
appreciate the value of science in formulating public policy," their
letter reads.
"During
his long record of public service, Joe Biden has consistently demonstrated his
willingness to listen to experts, his understanding of the value of
international collaboration in research and his respect for the contribution
that immigrants make to the intellectual life of our country," they added.
Seventy Nobel
laureates endorsed 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and 76
endorsed 2008 Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
Rep Bill
Foster (D-Ill.), the only physicist on Capitol Hill, organized the Nobel winners
to endorse the former vice president, a person close to the group told CNN.
The COVID-19
pandemic has led to more than 6 million confirmed cases and 184,697 fatalities
in the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Critics have
slammed President Trump’s administration for its handling of the coronavirus
crisis, accusing the president of responding too slowly.
Biden has
seized on this criticism during his campaign, calling on Trump to listen to
scientists when making decisions. He is expected to target the president for
his management of the crisis during his Delaware remarks on Wednesday.
“The multiple
crises facing our country, including one of misinformation, requires a leader
with profound admiration for science and truth,” Roger Kornberg, who won the
2006 Nobel Prize in chemistry, said in a statement. “I support Joe Biden’s
pro-science agenda and sensible approach to public health decisions.”
Recent polls
have registered dissatisfaction with the president’s handling of the pandemic,
including an August CNN poll that found 58 percent of respondents disapproved
of Trump’s management of the crisis.
