They are succeeding. :-(

That ship sailed. It’s unlikely the US will be leading in science for the rest of the century. China has already surpassed the US in new research right now, and will most likely keep that lead for at least the next decade or two. The US is likely to lose it’s second place status over the next decade, and will probably fall to fourth over a longer time scale.

Their entire world view is dictated by their leader. Anything which could contradict or embarrass that leader is a threat.

Don’t forget about facts too.