New poll: MA residents support Harvard in Trump fight but unsure on governor's re-election
In April, Harvard rejected a list of policy demands from the Trump administration, setting up a showdown between the university and the administration.
Since then, the fight has escalated as Trump has threatened to take away Harvard's nonprofit status, freeze over $3 billion in federal grant dollars, bar the university from enrolling foreign students and increase taxes on university endowments.
Per the poll, 60% of Massachusetts residents disapprove of the Trump administration's threats to cut federal spending at Harvard, including 88% of Democrats and 66% of Independents. 89% of Republicans approve of the threats.
Bay Staters largely disapprove of Trump's performance overall and other policies as well. 65% disapprove of Trump's performance, 66% disapprove of his handling of the economy and 62% disapprove of his handling of foreign affairs.
More: What is President Donald Trump's approval rating amid pardons, clash with Harvard
65% think it's inappropriate for Trump to receive a luxury jet from Qatar, and 56% think the United States is not supporting Ukraine enough in the war with Russia.
The poll also looked at what Massachusetts residents think of Gov. Maura Healey and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.
Healey has a slight positive approval rating in Massachusetts of +4.
But it's down from +11 in March, and Bay Staters are split on whether the first term governor deserves another. Healey has announced she will seek a second four-year term in 2026, but only 37% of Massachusetts residents say she deserves re-election, while 40% think she doesn't deserve re-election. 23% are unsure.
Per the poll, 60% of Democrats believe she should be re-elected, but only 32% of Independents and 4% of Republicans agree.
Markey has also said that he will seek a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2026, but only 33% of Massachusetts residents (including 54% of Democrats) say he should be re-elected.
Markey will be 80 years old when the 2026 election takes place, and 55% of respondents say they are somewhat or very concerned about his age. 71% of those that don't think Markey should be re-elected felt that way.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: What's Trump's approval rating in MA? See stats amid Harvard fight
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