Project 2025 is emerging as a central strategy, with the general election just four months away. The latest polls reveal an extremely close race, suggesting that the outcome is far from certain. Nevertheless, former President Donald Trump, alongside top Republicans and influential conservative figures and organizations, has already developed an extensive plan to reshape the federal government according to their vision.
The initiative, known as Project 2025, is a comprehensive collection of policy transition proposals. It is aimed at radically transforming the federal government should Trump secure a victory in the upcoming November election. The plan is designed to promote a far-right agenda. It is explicitly detailed on the project’s website: “It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration. This is the goal of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project.”
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 is a colossal 920-page document that outlines the potential framework for a Trump presidency. This document is not limited to policy proposals. It also presents a vision for the future of America under conservative leadership. It includes recommendations for key White House staff, cabinet positions, Congress, federal agencies, commissions, and boards. The plan even specifies a vetting process for appointing and hiring personnel aligned with this vision at all government levels.
The opening essay, penned by Heritage Foundation President Kevin D. Roberts, encapsulates the primary objective of Project 2025: transforming America into a conservative nation. To achieve this, the plan emphasizes four critical fronts:
- Restoring the family as the core of American life and protecting children.
- Dismantling the administrative state to return self-governance to the American people.
- Defending national sovereignty, borders, and resources against global threats.
- Securing individual rights to live freely, as outlined in the Constitution’s “Blessings of Liberty.”
The document meticulously details how the next Republican administration can pursue these goals. It encompasses every sector of the executive branch, from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Defense, Small Business Administration, and Financial Regulatory Agencies.
Concerns about Project 2025
Critics have voiced significant concerns about Project 2025. The New Republic describes the project as “a remarkably detailed guide to turning the United States into a fascist’s paradise.” The document, according to the magazine, advocates for a Christian nationalist vision. It states that heterosexual marriage is the only acceptable form of sexual expression. Moreover, all pregnancies must be carried to term, and transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals are effectively erased.
A particularly alarming aspect of Project 2025 is its playbook for the first 180 days of a hypothetical second Trump term. The playbook asserts the urgency for conservatives to have a plan ready to counteract the policies of the Left. It proposes purging the federal workforce of tens of thousands of employees in favor of hiring individuals who adhere to the principles of Project 2025.
Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official and the director of Project 2025’s Presidential Transition Project, emphasizes the need for dedicated conservatives to step forward and take action: “People need to lay down their tools and step aside from their professional life and say, ‘This is my lifetime moment to serve.’”
The playbook also includes guidelines for vetting potential candidates for federal positions, effectively recruiting an “army of aligned, vetted, trained, and prepared conservatives to go to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative State.”
Driving force behind it
The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, is the primary architect of Project 2025. For nearly five decades, The Heritage Foundation has leveraged its resources and influence to advance its conservative agenda across various aspects of American life, including anti-abortion advocacy, voter suppression, anti-climate policies, and anti-LGBTQ advocacy.
Project 2025 is a coalition effort involving over 100 right-wing groups. This includes America First Legal, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, and Moms For Liberty. According to NBC News, the initiative has attracted significant donations from a network of right-wing dark money groups, particularly those connected to Donors Trust, led by Leonard Leo.
The chapters of the Project 2025 plan and the 180-Day Playbook were crafted by more than 400 scholars and policy experts from the conservative movement. Notable contributors include former Trump administration officials and prominent right-wing figures like former Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli, and Peter Navarro, a former top trade advisor to Trump.
