President-elect Donald Trump made many large-scale promises on policies concerning key voter issues both during his campaign and since his reelection — here’s how they shape up in Boston and Massachusetts.
Education
Trump’s education policies are focused on dismantling the Department of Education and providing parents with more control over their children’s education.
Agenda47, Trump’s policy playbook for the next four years, states Trump will encourage the direct hiring and firing of school officials, and will reward school districts that abolish the teachers’ tenure.
Trump also plans on removing “political indoctrination” in classrooms by only teaching “truly useful subjects” such as reading, writing, math, science and arithmetic. He also states schools “will teach students to love their country,” and bring back in-school prayers.
As a liberal-leaning state, Mass. could face issues if Trump follows through on his commitment to decrease funding to schools that teach “critical race theory” and “radical gender ideology.”
Mass. was ranked first for quality of education in 2024 and has the fourth-best high school graduation rate in the country of over 90%.
The future of federal loans for students in Boston is also uncertain, as the Department of Education oversees the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio. It is unclear which federal agency will manage these loans if the Department of Education is eliminated.
Healthcare
Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, promised to “Make America Healthy Again” with initiatives that would remove fluoride from public water and ban pesticides and chemicals.
If his initiatives are confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy would oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, which administer the Affordable Care Act.
Some predict the expanded subsidies offered under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, would not be extended after their expiration at the end of 2025, causing about 3.8 million to lose their insurance. Others would likely have to pay higher premiums.
In Mass., residents over the age of 18 must enroll in a health insurance plan that meets Minimum Creditable Coverage requirements if they can afford it, or else pay a penalty through their tax returns.
There are also potential threats to reproductive healthcare under the Trump administration.
In Mass., abortion remains legal up to 24 weeks into the pregnancy. It is also permissible after that period if the physician deems it necessary to the physical or mental safety of the patient.
The state also passed a “shield law” following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022 by the majority Trump-appointed Supreme Court to protect reproductive healthcare providers from legal repercussions.
Trump “will oppose Late Term Abortion,” but support access to prenatal care, birth control and in vitro fertilization treatments, according to the 2024 GOP Platform. Trump claimed he would veto a complete abortion ban should it pass through Congress.
Climate
Trump has repeatedly called climate change a “hoax” and plans to hinder both climate action and the national transition to renewable energy.
He nominated Chris Wright, CEO of fracking company Liberty Energy, to be the Secretary of the Department of Energy. Trump’s pick is consistent with his promise to increase fracking and focus on domestic fossil fuel production.
The Trump campaign also stated electric vehicle mandates would be canceled, and energy regulations would be cut. His administration may also rescind green energy tax breaks put in place by the Democrats.
Meanwhile, Boston hopes to become a zero-waste community, reduce carbon emissions and protect natural resources, all while preparing for the long-term impacts of climate change. Mayor Michelle Wu recently established a new Boston Climate Council on Oct. 8 via executive order.
Many local policies have been implemented to ensure the City’s carbon neutrality will be at a net zero by 2050.
LGBTQ+ and Transgender Rights
Trump promised to roll back federal policies preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Throughout his campaign, Trump often promoted anti-transgender rhetoric. He claimed he will “keep men out of women’s sports,” and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance sponsored legislation in 2023 banning access to gender-affirming care for minors.
Agenda47 outlines policies that would require schools to immediately notify parents “if a teacher or other school employee has worked to change their children’s name, pronouns or understanding of his or her gender.”
It also states Trump would sponsor a bill that only recognizes two genders, determined at birth, male and female, under the United States government.
Mass., on the other hand, has a number of protections in place for LGBTQ+ citizens.
In 2003, Mass. was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, twelve years before the federal landmark ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges. A 2022 law expanded protections for gender-affirming healthcare, including those who are seeking care from out of state.
Immigration
Trump’s agenda states he will “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history,” with the intent of reversing the “Democrat’s Open Borders Policies” and establishing further travel restrictions.
Wu said Boston Police officers will not have to assist in any mass deportation efforts.
Trump plans to strengthen Immigration and Customs Enforcement, increase the punishment for illegal entry and reinstate previous Trump-era policies like “Remain in Mexico,” which will force Mexican asylum seekers to remain in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date.
Trump also promised to finish building the “Border Wall” between the U.S. and Mexico. His campaign vowed to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities, such as Boston, and to “deport pro-Hamas radicals” and undocumented migrants in a bid to make “college campuses safe and patriotic again.”
Boston, a hotspot for student activism, could face an increase in crackdowns on student protests if this claim comes to fruition.
