In a parting shot before her retirement, the European Commission’s top science diplomat has castigated the US for destroying its reputation as a global scientific leader. Signe Ratso, who is in charge of negotiating global access to the EU’s €93.5 billion Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, said on December 17 that the US was “still our most important research partner” but was “currently demolishing its scientific leadership with a wrecking ball.”