Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Sunday said the Trump administration’s “bad for science” policies will send America’s researchers into the arms of China and other nations.
Addressing the administration’s ongoing battle with Harvard University and its cuts to scientific and medical research, the Massachusetts Democrat said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”: “Research labs are shutting down, scientists and researchers are leaving the United States and going to other countries to do their work. And essentially, Donald Trump is giving away intellectual assets.”
Speaking to guest host Weijia Jiang, Healey said that President Donald Trump is damaging the nation’s status as the world leader in scientific research.
“As governor, I want Massachusetts soaring,” she said. “I want America soaring. And what Donald Trump is doing is basically saying to China and other … countries, come to the United States, take our scientists, take our researchers and that, and that’s what’s happening.”
Though the interview also dealt with significant cuts to the National Institutes for Health and other institutions, there was specific discussion of Harvard’s statement last week that it would not bow to the administration’s demands to change its policies in order to continue to receive federal funding.
“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Harvard President Alan Garber said.
Administration officials have said Harvard needs to comply with the law to receive that funding, and Trump has continued to rail at Harvard. On Wednesday, he posted on Truth Social: “Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges. Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.”
Healey said that Trump’s attacks on Harvard are indicative of a larger pattern of behavior.
“First, he went after the law firms. Then he went after companies. Then he went after everyday Americans,” she said. “Now he’s going after colleges and universities, using any and all tactics to try to shut them down, to silence them. That’s what Donald Trump is about. There’s no merit to any of this. And of course, it’s illegal.”
She also said she is trying to keep her state afloat amid a wide range of federal cuts.
“There is no way,” she said, “a state can begin to make up for the cuts to federal funding, the cuts that Donald Trump has made to education, to health care, food for kids, heating assistance for seniors. He just cut off FEMA disaster relief for our states the other day, and, as governor, I’m going to do everything I can to protect my residents, to protect our state, to protect our economy, but he makes it really difficult.”
