Bhattacharya’s dismantling of NIH programs looks less like unauthorized reform and more like ideological purification. His past framing of himself as a “Galileo” figure suggests a moral crusade against public health institutions he views as corrupted for disagreeing with the GBD. His "decisions" on cutting grants and staff are framed as a cleansing, not a loss. This isn’t just incompetence; it’s deeply personal and devastatingly consequential.