And decision-makers at that company feeling good about themselves at no cost whatsoever for the company or themselves.

Sure, that’s great but it’s not even the point. Fundamental research and other type of “useless” scientific endeavors help humanity as a whole to better understand our universe but would never be privately funded because they don’t have any concrete and immediate financial benefits. This is precisely what a government should finance, because no one else would do it and yet it’s small stuff like that that make us collectively move forward as a species

Sure, but you can bet right-wing parties around Europe are taking notes right now and will get closer and closer to Trump in the next few years, just like they did last time