AG Campbell sued Trump more than a dozen times in his first 100 days, saying ‘courts are our strongest tool'
As federal Democrats have limited power, with the White House and both chambers of Congress under Republican control, state Democrats have led many fights against the Trump administration. None are better positioned than Campbell and 22 other Democratic attorneys general who have
Campbell, who served on Boston City Council during Trump's last presidency, says while she and her colleagues prepared by studying Project 2025 and Trump's first term, 'Trump 2.0 is different.'
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'What we could not have expected was that the volume of the attacks from the federal administration on the rule of law, on immigrants, vulnerable communities, state economies, would be much greater and quicker than the first term,' Campbell said in a press briefing Friday.
'We can't take on every issue, we won't win every fight,' she acknowledged. But 'regardless of what the narrative is out in the public, the law and courts are our strongest tool against federal overreach, and they are working.'
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Massachusetts' attorney general's office is smaller than those in other Democrat-run states, such as California or New York, but it's punching above its weight. Campbell joined her 14th lawsuit against Trump Friday, suing his education department
Similar to her predecessor, Governor Maura Healey, Campbell's recognition is rising as a result. The attorney appears frequently on national television to tout her legal moves. She testified before Congress in February to
'The last AG that pushed back against Donald Trump is now our governor, so Massachusetts has rewarded, with the highest office in the state, individuals willing to push back against Trump. All the evidence on the ground suggests there's no political cost and only political upside,' said Erin O'Brien, a political scientist at UMass Boston.
'She's doing what most Massachusetts residents want, so I would be surprised if she wasn't at least flirting with higher office,' O'Brien added.
Campbell said her office has challenged the onslaught of federal changes at all hours.
She pointed to an instance when, in February, the Trump administration
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Paul Nolette, a Marquette University political science professor who
'There's so many targets now, with all of these executive orders and executive actions that it's not clear what the legal authority is for these things. That elevates the opportunities for AGs to get involved,' Nolette said.
The attorneys general have been successful in temporarily stopping several actions while cases make their way through the courts, such as
Campbell expressed concerns about their legal approach, saying, 'We can't have a functioning democracy or a functioning economy or address the issues our residents care about the most if we don't protect the rule of law.' But attorneys general have largely been able to 'get the Department of Justice to get the Trump administration to be responsive' through legal challenges, she said.
She's also protesting in other ways, such as joining a rally supporting
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Massachusetts left-leaning voters and advocates frequently praise Campbell for taking on the Trump administration, sometimes
Acknowledging Campbell's expanded role, the Massachusetts House made its first effort to oppose Trump
7 percent
more than what she received this year, extra funds
Becca Kornet, the Medfield Democratic town committee chair,
'The lawyers are going to save us,' Kornet recalled telling her members. 'It's not always going to work ... but there are lawyers across the country, and especially in Massachusetts, who are really, really smart people and trying to do the right thing.'
While Trump's favorability has plummeted
'Our top law enforcement official, Andrea Campbell, the attorney general, has no interest in enforcing the law here in Massachusetts and is just working to obstruct President Trump from actually enforcing the law,' said John Milligan, the Massachusetts GOP's executive director.
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He added Campbell has continued 'lawfare' against Trump, building on the president's claims during his campaign he was politically targeted.
They've also criticized Campbell over an ongoing feud with
Still, the attorney general's anti-Trump work has become a litmus test even for Republicans. In a
Campbell has responded to critics saying she's focused on national fights by pointing to her office's work at home, such as
Carol Rose, the local ACLU executive director, said their national organization has filed at least 100 lawsuits against Trump, many alongside attorneys general like Campbell, whom she called 'courageous.'
'The people really want leaders who are going to fight back and to uphold our democracy,' Rose said. 'Having a really great and strong state attorney general, combined with civil rights groups that are also fighting back, enables us to slow down some of the worst excesses and hopefully stop and turn the tide.'
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Anjali Huynh can be reached at
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