The federal government deleted 28 public datasets and altered 338 more as part of a new directive signed by Sweet Potato Hitler. The removed records cover embassy air quality readings, climate models, teacher retention surveys, and a national study of violence against youth. A senior official described the effort as a necessary upgrade.
"Where the data conflicts with policy, the data is clearly wrong," said Margaret Voss, deputy administrator for statistical integrity. "We have replaced outdated measurements with current conclusions." She added that the initiative had already reduced several tracked problems by 100 percent.
The National Center for Education Statistics survey of teacher working conditions and pay was among the first removals. The Department of Agriculture also scrapped its twice-annual farm labor and wage study. Officials said the numbers had created an impression of shortages and low pay that did not match administration commitments.
NASA's climate.gov was taken down last month. The site had helped teachers and researchers understand atmospheric trends. The page had been a resource for science teachers since 2014. Voss called those trends "legacy metrics" that no longer served the public.
Independent researchers at Data Index U.S. counted 28 deleted collections and 338 restricted ones. "The prior datasets were messy," said Dana Cho, a project lead. "Every time we measured a problem, people wanted us to solve it. That is not sustainable."
Under the new system, agencies will publish only statistics that support existing policies. A memo described the old practice of collecting unapproved facts as "redundant documentation." The memo also required agencies to use only pre-approved nouns.
The Department of Education reported that teacher vacancies would no longer be tracked. A spokesperson said the change would allow schools to focus on outcomes rather than obstacles. The department's teacher shortage page now displays a photo of a full classroom and the word "adequate."
At the Department of Agriculture, the farm labor page shows a single summary field. It reads: "Labor conditions remain stable." The underlying survey data has been wiped.
The administration also removed air quality measurements collected by U.S. embassies. An official said foreign air conditions were outside the scope of domestic policy. Domestic readings remained available, except for those near certain permitted industrial sites.
Researchers have begun mirroring the deleted datasets. One group archived 4.2 terabytes of federal climate records before they disappeared. "We saved the numbers," said Cho. "Now we just need a government that is willing to look at them."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. A follow-up was submitted through the new Office of Public Alignment. The contact form disappeared after a successful submission, which officials described as a 100 percent reduction in follow-up inquiries.
