President Donald Trump made a rare visit to the Department of Justice for a speech, with members of the Massachusetts Sheriff Association in the audience, with a DOJ antisemitism task force visit seemingly focused on 2024’s pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, including in the Boston area.
A rare sight playing out at the Department of Justice on Friday as President Donald Trump spoke to law enforcement officials from the federal, state and local levels.
The president’s remarks centered on restoring law and order, spotlighting the removal of violent criminals from the country and what the president calls the weaponization of justice against Americans.
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“We’re turning the page on four long years of corruption and we’re restoring fair, equal, impartial justice,” Trump said.
Boston has already been in the administration’s crosshairs. Mayor Michelle Wu defended the city's sanctuary policy earlier this month on Capitol Hill and is now preparing for a DOJ antisemitism task force visit, seemingly focused on 2024’s pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses.
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“We haven’t heard anything formal yet,” said Wu on Friday, “but very proud to work alongside our Jewish community in Boston.”
Many of the universities that have been singled out for their protests sit outside Boston city limits, including Harvard, MIT and Tufts University.
“I’m looking forward to learning more about what they’re seeking and if it is related to specific schools or universities or something else,” Wu said.
Three other cities could face similar visits, including Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.
More on Boston and the Trump administration
At the president’s Department of Justice speech, members of the Massachusetts Sheriff Association were sitting in the audience and calling for a collaborative tone from the commander-in-chief.
“We need to rise above the rhetoric, rise above the politics and get to the work of governing,” Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott said.
The last president to speak at the Department of Justice was Barack Obama back in 2014, addressing changes to how the country gathers intelligence.
