Trump vs. New England: The animosity is mutual

Boston Globe

10-06-2025

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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
He's hacked away billions in funding for industries that power New England's economy. He's attacked progressive values of diversity and inclusion, directed federal officers to seize immigrants off the street, and punished colleges that won't capitulate to his demands. His administration and other Republicans have even targeted Boston's mayor directly, summoning her to D.C. to testify before Congress mere weeks after giving birth.
You could, in short, make the case that President Trump's second-term agenda is deliberately hostile to much of the region.
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Turns out, the animosity is mutual.
A strong majority of voters across
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island — roughly 68 percent — disapprove of Trump's job in office so far, while just 29 percent said they approved, according to a
That assessment is far from surprising: All three states covered by the Globe survey backed former vice president Kamala Harris in November and are represented by left-leaning politicians in Congress. And while not as stark as today's New England-focused findings,
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Still, our results show just how dimly many
New Englanders in these states view Trump as the new administration has singled out key people, industries, and institutions here.
Here are three other interesting takeaways from today's poll:
Federal funding and personnel cuts are especially hurting folks in the region.
David Paleologos, director of Suffolk's Political Research Center, said cuts wrought by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, appear to be driving distaste for the administration, which he called 'a unique problem to this survey.' About 40 percent of those surveyed said they or someone close to them were affected by DOGE cuts, Paleologos said, perhaps not surprising in a region known for its hospitals, universities, and research centers.
While some nationally still approve of Trump's immigration policy, many New Englanders do not.
Border security and immigration — issues key to Trump's reelection — have remained Trump's most favorable policy areas nationally. A
The view is decidedly different here:
The vast majority of respondents said they were at least somewhat sympathetic toward migrants who have come to New England and
disapproved of how federal immigration officials have handled arrests and deportations under Trump. More than half opposed deporting those living illegally in the United States.
That builds on support Massachusetts voters expressed for immigrants in October in a separate Globe/Suffolk poll focused just on that state. Even in the throes of the state's migrant crisis, a majority said the state should still offer migrants temporary shelter and help them get health care and other assistance.
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Voters aren't unhappy only with Trump.
Democrats, for their part, are also unpopular among voters: About 56 percent said they would rate the performance of national Democratic leaders in addressing key issues as 'poor.'
But Trump's dismal approval numbers come as voters here are increasingly clamoring for more resistance to his policies. Although the 2026 midterms are about 17 months away, if these surveys are any indication, it's unclear whether
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Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
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First Amendment:
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Research cuts:
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BESIDE THE POINT
By Teresa Hanafin
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Swanning:
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