NEW YORK, NY – Laura Helmuth, editor-in-chief of Scientific American magazine, announced her resignation on Thursday following criticism over controversial comments she made on social media regarding Donald Trump voters.
Helmuth, who led the magazine for four and a half years, shared her decision to step down on Bluesky, a social media platform similar to X. She did not reference the remarks in her resignation post, describing her tenure as “exciting” while announcing her departure.
The controversy stems from now-deleted posts where Helmuth referred to Trump voters as the “meanest, dumbest, most bigoted” group and labeled them “fascists.” These comments, made after the former president’s reelection last week, drew widespread attention on X, where users condemned her remarks.
Helmuth later issued an apology on Bluesky, calling her statements “offensive and inappropriate” and clarifying that they did not represent the position of Scientific American. “I respect and value people across the political spectrum,” she wrote. “These posts, which I have deleted, do not reflect my beliefs; they were a mistaken expression of shock and confusion about the election results.”
Kimberly Lau, president of Scientific American, confirmed Helmuth’s resignation in a statement to CNN. Lau emphasized that Helmuth’s decision to leave was voluntary and expressed gratitude for her contributions. “We thank Laura for her four years leading Scientific American, during which time the magazine won major science communications awards and saw the establishment of a reimagined digital newsroom,” Lau said.
The publication has begun a search for Helmuth’s successor while acknowledging her impact on the magazine’s editorial direction and digital evolution.