The next is the transcription of an interview with the governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, a Democrat, which was broadcast on “Fac The Nation Margaret Brennan” on April 20, 2025.
Weijia Jiang: Let’s go to Massachusetts, Democratic Governor Maura Healey, who joins us this morning from the outside of Boston. Governor Healy, good morning to you.
GUARDA Maura Healey: Good morning Weijia. Happy Easter for you and everyone listening.
Weijia Jiang: Happy Easter for you too. I want to start with Harvard University, which is, of course, in his state and his alma mater. Last week, the Trump administration frozen $ 2.2 billion in subsidies of several years, $ 60 million in contracts of several years to Harvard, and that is after the university rejected some of the administration’s demands to maintain that money flowing. We saw that the impact was fast, from the investigation to the staff. And I wonder, can you resist this frozen funds?
Governor Healey: Well, this is what is here what is happening in the field as results of those actions. And really, let’s go back six weeks when the first cuts for NIH financing were announced. Massachusetts, we have a series of conferences and universities, research institutions. These are entities that have been pioneers for decades. Diseases, cancer, who work at this time in treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson and much more. In addition, they have been or have been those who have led research when it comes to our defense industry. I could go through the various sectors, but basically what Donald Trump is doing when cutting this financing, some things are happening. Research laboratories are closing, scientists and researchers are leading the United States and go to other countries to do their job. And Essentialy, Donald Trump is giving intellectual assets. The other thing that is happening in real time at this time, and is incredible, Weijia, was in a hospital here the other week, and this is a hospital for children in Boston, where some of the most ill children in the country will have attention. And there have been cuts for children and other Boston hospitals as a result of Donald Trump’s actions, because these are part of a teaching hospital system. These cuts to universities have significant domain effects, because they are life farewells, scientists are dismissed, doctors who are turned off, clinical trials for things such as the treatments of chain have bone, and this is really bad. It is bad for patients, it is bad for science and is really bad for US competitiveness. As governor, I want Massusetts to submit. I because the United States rises. And What Donald Trump is a doing is basicly saying to China and Other Company -odorly Countries, Come to The United States, Take-To-Take Our Scientists, Take Our Researchers and That, and That’s What’s Happening, and It’s Real-Toeaty Terrible Dismantling and Wrecking the Economy Right Now, I’M Working Hard Every Day To Lower Costs In My State, Cut Taxes, Build More Housing, and Donald Trump Is Just Making Life More Expensive For All Of Us, Making Life Harder For All Of Us, and By after Schools and Universities Weijia, this will really have an impact on competitiveness United States. There is a reason why this country has led the world, remember, and it is because we have invested in science and innovation for decades.
Weijia Jiang: Harvard has asked your state for any support?
Governor Healey: There is no way for a State to begin to compensate for the cut to federal funds, the cuts that Donald Trump has made to education, medical care, children’s food, heating assistance for older people. He simply cut the relief of FEMA disasters for our states the other day, and as governor, I will do everything possible to protect my residents, to protect our state, to protect our economy, but it makes it really difficult. I will give you an example, Weijia. I presented and signed the largest housing bill in history. I want to build more homes so that we can reduce costs. Donald Trump enters with tariffs. Where do we get our wood? Canada. Where do we get other construction materials? Mexico. He has just made everything more extent and more diffusion, and the states will do their best. Governors as Myelf will do the best we can, but there is no way that states cannot begin to compensate, or the course corrects these failures by the president of the United States and its administration when it comes to administering the economy.
Weijia Jiang: President Trump is also asking Harvard to lose his tax exemption state, and CBS News has confirmed that the IRS is considering at least rescue him. Do you know any evidence that the University has done something to deserve that?
Governor Healey: absolutely not. It is scandalous, but it is part of this continuous play book that Donald Trump has bone use, which is to silence critics, right? First, hey after law firm. Then it is after the companies. Then, after all, the Americans every day. Now pursues conferences and universities, using each and every one of the tactics to try to close them, to silence them. That’s what Donald Trump is about. There is no merit for any of this. And, of course, it is illegal. He cannot do that as president of the United States, and that will be proven in court. Or by the course, Donald Trump, at this time he is ignoring the judicial orders, which is another issue, but there is absolutely nothing basic. And you know what he is saying when doing that is to say to all those who have no profit, not only schools and universities, but think of all organizations that are not fine profit in their community, right? Supporting his small league, supporting the elderly, any number of organizations, tens of thousands in the United States, Donald Trump says that I can take that away at this time, he does not have that power. And you don’t have to not only have a legal basic for what you are trying to do, it makes no sense.
Weijia Jiang: And governor, I want to ask him about a tuft student, Rumeysa Ozturb, who was arrested in his state by simple clothing officers at the end of last month. At this time, she is arrested in a detention center in Louisiana and has not been accused of any crime. At the last minute of Friday, a judge ordered ICE to transfer her to Vermont before May 1, so that he can attend the processes of the District Court in his arrest. Have you talked to Re -Family or lawyers, and there is something that your state can do to support it now?
Governor Healey: Well, this is a very worrying matter, because this woman is an academic of Fulbright. She is receiving her doctorate in child development. She has no criminal record or history. It seems that she was one of the many firms of an opinion article in a university newspaper. The courts are already involved here, but it is very worrying. It is very worrying because there seems to be a total ignorant of due process, which is so fundamental for our democracy and our rule of law in this country, and also sends such cold to students everywhere, including foreign students. Massachusetts is a place where we benefit from foreign students who come from all over the world to investigate, study and start companies, in addition to Nobel Prize for Extraction. And this is really important, because when I-when I speak of the failed first agenda of Donald Trump in America, we show what I am talking about ——-
Weijia Jiang: -Gobernador, thank you very much —
Maura Healey Governorate: – They will not go to the United States. They will go somewhere —
Weijia Jiang: -Gresenta so much there, I’m sorry we have to leave it there.
Maura Healey Governorate: -I need to do better —
Weijia Jiang: – But I thank you very much this Sunday to share some of your time with us. Thanks, governor. And we will return in a moment.