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.
–Updated on Sept. 17 at 11:11 a.m.