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Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell says her strategy to block Donald Trump’s agenda is working.
Campbell has sued the Trump administration 14 times in the first 100 days of the president’s second term, teaming up with other Democratic attorneys general around the country. During a call with reporters on Friday, Campbell said her office has “delivered real wins for Massachusetts” by securing injunctions and restraining orders to stop the president’s policies from going into effect.
“Here you have an administration that is not only violating the law, but doing it in ways that are shocking, egregious, and horrific,” she said.
The lawsuits challenge what Campbell called a pattern of “blatantly unlawful actions,” such as Trump’s federal funding cuts, immigration actions, and initiatives at the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk. Her latest lawsuit, filed on Friday, targets the administration’s threats to withhold education funding from agencies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The attorney general said she expects she will file more lawsuits as the Trump administration continues to implement its plans.
In an interview with The Light earlier this month, Campbell connected her litigation with spiraling household bills. She elaborated during Friday’s call, saying Trump’s funding cuts could force families to pay for public health and educational benefits that the federal government currently funds.
“We know it would have a detrimental impact on the bottom lines of households if it suddenly had to come out of pocket,” she said. She added that it would also impact household budgets if the state needed to find money to replace the federal programs.
Campbell said her office is also stepping up its consumer protection work in areas where the administration has “walked away.” That includes prosecuting fraudsters and protecting elders from scams, she said.
Trump’s tariffs and opposition to clean energy projects are also increasing utility costs, she said. As attorney general, Campbell serves as the statewide advocate for ratepayers.
While Campbell said her office anticipated the actions Trump has taken in his second term, she was surprised by the speed at which he has rolled out his agenda.
The attorney general thanked the state legislature for including funding in its latest budget to support her office’s expanded workload. She said her staff has worked nights and weekends at times to bring these lawsuits.
Campbell expects the Trump administration to continue pushing back against her lawsuits and appealing. But, if any cases go to the U.S. Supreme Court, she said she’s confident the court won’t let Trump “unravel” the Constitution.
“One thing they have made clear in recent decisions is they care about due process,” she said.
Campbell said she sees it as her job to protect the rule of law. She said people should be watching the case of Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts PhD student who was picked up by plainclothes ICE agents in Somerville and swiftly taken to a detention facility in Louisiana after her student visa was cancelled.
“I think it’s a sad, but a timely example about where we’re headed if folks don’t step up and push back,” Campbell said.
Email Grace Ferguson at gferguson@newbedfordlight.org
her job is work for the citizens…and none of what she complains out is real. it all her doing
Campbell is lost. She’s trying to feed her own ego. She should pay attention to the job of ridding our State of criminals.
Is the attorney general working for the real benefit of Massachusetts residents or just jumping on the typical Democrat anti-Trump bandwagon ? Why not try working with the administration instead of spending taxpayer dollars on lawsuits ? Also, were additional employees hired with taxpayer dollars to assist with the lawsuits ? Were you in favor of the 10-12 million illegals flooding across the border during the last administration ? How many taxpayer dollars have gone into providing housing and assistance for all the illegals that now reside in Massachusetts ? Do you support the rights of females in female sports ? Do you support the needs of the entire state , or just a few special interest groups ? It seems to me that the AG is more an anti-Trump activist than someone thinking about the best interests of the entire state.
Thank you to the attorney general for upholding the rule of law and the importance of due process. Keep up the good work.
Thanks AG Campbell for continuing to challenge the current administration. The Convict-In-Chief is only out for revenge and has repeatedly shown he will ignore the constitution and the rule of law except when it’s in his best interest. Keep fighting the good fight.
I wonder when the AMA will classify TDS as a mental disorder? It’s running rampant among democrats.
How about supporting our state auditor and the will of the people of Massachusetts who want full transparency in our state Ms Attorney General . All your actions so far are blatant political rules. Shame on you. One and done hopefully for your blind ambitious career
Thank you to our AG for standing up for all human beings who have a right to due process according to our Constitution.
How much does each of these lawsuits cost taxpayers? Perhaps you could shed some “light” on that. Also what benefit is there for the state to jump onto a lawsuit that 20 other states have already implemented? Seems like grandstanding.
Andrea Campbell trying to break Maura Healy’s record of lawsuits against Donald Trump. This is a “me too” mentality.
Andrea Campbell would better serve the citizens of Massachusetts by by carrying out the functions of her office that pertain to the crimes committed within Massachusetts that effect the daily lives of our citizens.
MA Attorney General is opposed to budget cuts by Trump and the federal government stating MA legislators will make up for funding cuts. In other words, the cuts are insignificant as her fellow liberal socialist Democrats will raise taxes and fees on state residents to pay for the added costs of illegal immigrants getting an education at zero cost since Americans will be forced to pay for it. These Democrats make me sick!!!!!