Why Trump is backing Bayer in weedkiller cancer battle

By Nik Martin
Deutsche Welle (DW)
December 22, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, International

The long-running legal fight over Bayer’s weedkiller Roundup has seen nearly 200,000 cancer claims filed in US courts over the past seven years and is now being turned into a political tug of war. In prior Roundup lawsuits, the US Justice Department under former President Joe Biden, had argued that consumers should be allowed to pursue damages against Germany’s chemical giant, with most claims involving non‑Hodgkin lymphoma after long-term exposure to the pesticide. Earlier this month, however, President Donald Trump’s administration reversed course. After the US Supreme Court sought the Solicitor General’s view, the Justice Department sided with Bayer and urged limits on the tens of thousands of outstanding claims. Bayer has already paid out around $10 billion to settle disputed cancer claims in the US. …Bayer’s case is being closely watched in Europe, where the European Union has extended glyphosate’s approval until 2033 despite fierce opposition from environmental groups. 

Read More