Boston, MA
Boston officials balk at Trump National Guard talk – The Boston Globe
“It creates the possibility of bad situations” in which some local kid, perhaps, loses their head and tries to fight back, she said. “Then all bets are off.”
A survey Saturday of city politicians in deep-blue Boston hardly reveals a surprise: They broadly oppose Trump’s idea to send National Guard troops into Boston in an effort, according to the Republican president, to help fight crime. It’s one of the few topics that unify Boston’s progressive mayor, her challenger, the even-more-progressive wing of the Boston City Council that needles her from the left, and some of the council’s relatively more conservative members.
For example, Councilor Ed Flynn, a centrist critic of Wu who represents South Boston and Chinatown, said in a statement that he has great respect for the Guard and appreciation for the role they played in mobilizing resources quickly and efficiently during the pandemic, but, “it is not necessary to activate the National Guard for law enforcement support in Boston.”
Trump continues to float the prospect of using the Guard, which is typically called up by state governors to help in the cases of national disasters or specific unrest, to augment local, state and federal law enforcement in multiple cities Trump has deemed to be suffering from severe street violence. He took control of the police force in Washington and sent the Guard into Los Angeles, and threatened to do the same in other cities, such as Chicago and Boston.
Supporters have cheered this hardline stance and unusual use of the Guard, saying it’s necessary after years of what Trump characterizes as soft-on-crime policies in Democrat-led big cities that, in some cases, are objectively struggling with violent crime.
“Boston has more than its fair share of crime, and President Trump’s offer to provide National Guard assistance should serve as a wake-up call to Governor Healey and Mayor Wu: If they don’t protect our residents, the president may step in for them,” Amy Carnevale, the chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Saturday.
But critics say this is a page out of a classic authoritarian playbook, and is merely meant to use a show of force to punish and intimidate those who don’t support the president.
“Trump is fighting to make himself and his friends richer and more powerful at the expense of the rest of us,” said Sharon Durkan, a progressive councilor who represents the Back Bay and Beacon Hill. “He has ballooned the debt, handed tax cuts to billionaires, gutted healthcare, and now he’s using the National Guard to stoke fear and destabilize our democracy.”
Boston officials argue that this city is “the safest major city in America,” as Mayor Michelle Wu repeatedly contends; in reality, that’s a difficult claim to parse, but there’s no doubt that it does have generally low and declining crime rates.
Wu and other Democrats in Massachusetts have repeatedly drawn the ire of the Trump administration. She has been called down to D.C. to testify about Boston’s policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and the administration has targeted the Boston area with multiple major immigration-enforcement efforts in the past few months. Trump is eyeing another concerted effort here, Politico reported on Friday, based on administration sources.
“Unlike the Trump administration, Boston follows the law — city, state and federal. We are the safest major city in the country because all of our community members know that they are part of how we keep the entire community safe,” Wu said in a statement. “Boston will never back down from being a beacon of freedom and a home for everyone. Stop attacking cities to hide your administration’s failures.”
Other city councilors said similarly. Councilor Brian Worrell, whose district includes Mattapan and parts of Dorchester, said such a move would only “further fear and division in our communities.” And Councilor Enrique Pepén of Hyde Park called it “nothing more than a political ploy by the Trump administration.”
Joshua Kraft, who’s running against Wu in in this year’s elections from her right, also rejected Trump’s ideas about using the Guard. He’s criticized Wu for her approach to crime, but said Boston can handle whatever public-safety issues it has by itself.
“Bringing the National Guard into American cities has nothing to do with public safety and is all about Donald Trump exerting power on cities that stand behind their immigrant communities,” Kraft said in a statement.
On Saturday, several people going about their business in Boston said they were worried.
Mary Walsh, 64, was walking down a residential block in Allston to help her daughter move into a new home. She called it a “shame” that Trump is in office — and added, “We have to deal with it.”
“He’s so into theatrics that I really try not to give anything he says much attention,” she said. “Personally, I just roll my eyes, and I’m like, ‘Here we go again.’”
Sean Cotter can be reached at sean.cotter@globe.com. Follow him @cotterreporter. Jessica Ma can be reached at jessica.ma@globe.com.
Boston, MA
Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe
Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.
“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”
In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.
“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”
Here’s the preview:
RED SOX (1-0): TBA
Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray
REDS (0-1): TBA
Pitching: RHP Brady Singer
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7
Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2
Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.
Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.
Boston, MA
Mayor Robert Van Campen talks about priorities in Everett
Nearly three months since assuming office as mayor of Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Robert Van Campen isn’t wasting any time.
The former city councilor ousted 18-year incumbent Carlo DeMaria in decisive fashion last November, but even so, issues surrounding his predecessor still linger at City Hall.
A state-led salary audit of DeMaria found $180,000 in overpayment, a finding the former mayor disputes. Van Campen says the city is monitoring ongoing investigations.
“What I’ve conveyed to my partners in government here, locally, is to allow that state process to play itself out, and then we, as a community, will make a decision,” the mayor said. “In addition to that, I recently met with Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, who visited me at City Hall. We had a great conversation about transparency in government, best practices, putting in the right systems to ensure that that type of financial oversight doesn’t happen in the future.”
Beyond the audit, Van Campen is placing emphasis on school overcrowding.
“My objective is to try to implement solutions as quickly as I can,” he said. “Our high school today, which was built for I think 1,650 students, now houses around 2,200.”
The World Cup is creating buzz across Massachusetts, including in Everett, where the Kraft Group is looking to build a soccer stadium.
To alleviate that problem, the mayor is using federal ARPA funds to repair the old Everett High School and seeking out other spaces that could be used in the future.
“Would I like to build out new classroom space for the students of Everett in the next one to two years? Yes, that’s my ideal,” Van Campen said. “But I want to make sure that if we do it on a quick timeline, it’s done in a correct and proper fashion.”
Also in focus for the mayor is a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution on the shores of the Mystic River.
The Kraft Group, Boston, Everett and the state Legislature have all taken steps to make the project a reality, but Van Campen says there’s still more work to do.
“It’s a transformative project, it’s a breathtaking project,” said Van Campen. “But I’ve been clear with all the stakeholders around that project, and the other larger developments going on down there, that we have to make sure that transit issues are comprehensively addressed, that pedestrian access issues are comprehensively addressed, that all those issues have to be addressed to perfection in order for these projects to succeed.”
Tune in on Sunday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Van Campen.
Boston, MA
Boston ‘No Kings’ rally expected to draw 100,000; others planned across Mass.
“No Kings” rallies are scheduled in Boston and across Massachusetts on Saturday and are expected to draw large crowds, organizers said.
Organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, and Mass 50501, the event is a mass mobilization in protest of the Trump administration.
The No Kings theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
“The Trump administration is trying to shred the Constitution; the No Kings movement is an unequivocal statement that we, the people, will not let that happen. This will be the third global No Kings Day, and it’s not just about protesting what’s wrong—it’s about building something better. We intend to show our power, build our power, and power a democracy that advances freedom, equality, justice, and dignity for all,” organizers wrote.
The rally, one of thousands scheduled across the country this weekend, is planned for the Boston Common from 2 to 4 p.m. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Boston’s rally. Other events are scheduled in Pittsfield, Northampton, Lancaster, Worcester, Framingham, Methuen, Lexington, and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape. For a map of No Kings events near you, click here.
Speakers include elected officials Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and civic leaders Hessann Farooqi Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, Darlene Lombos, president of the Greater Boston Labor Council, Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts, and others. It will be moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
There will also be performances by the Dropkick Murphys, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, BVOCAL Chorus, and Jimmy Tingle.
A previous No Kings rally in October drew massive crowds estimated in the tens of thousands.
NBC10 Boston NBC10 Boston An aerial view of the crowd at Boston’s “No Kings” rally on the Common on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
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