Project 2025 - what we know about the ‘dystopian’ manifesto for Trump’s second term
A lengthy 900-page document created by ex-aides of Donald Trump and backed by a prominent conservative think tank has been viewed for some time as a blueprint for his potential second term in office.
Project 2025 is a plan for Donald Trump’s next presidency, led by the Heritage Foundation and over a dozen former officials from his administration. It outlines various goals for his administration, including increasing his executive powers, replacing career civil servants with appointees who share his views, severely restricting abortion rights, and implementing a strict anti-immigration agenda, along with other initiatives.
During their campaign, the Democrats focused heavily on criticizing the conservative plan.
In a comedic skit on Saturday Night Live, Kenan Thompson made use of a large, printed hardcover edition of the extensive 900-page report known as Project 2025. He joked with the audience, saying, "Have you ever seen a document so substantial that it could take down a tiny creature and democracy all at once? Well, here it is!" This drew lots of laughter from the crowd.
Kenan Thompson: Have you ever come across a book capable of harming a small creature and threatening democracy simultaneously? Well, here it is. These are the implications of a second Trump presidency. Voting for him means endorsing everything within these pages.
At the same time, Vice President Kamala Harris consistently emphasized Project 2025 in her campaign speeches.
At a rally, Harris expressed concern about Trump's ambitious Project 2025 plan, stating that it will harm the middle class. She emphasized the importance of addressing this issue seriously. “Can you imagine they actually documented their intentions? Take a look—it’s 900 pages long,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, the ex-president made a concerted effort to disassociate himself from the initiative, asserting that he was unaware of any details about it or the individuals responsible for it. This came despite the fact that the creators of the plan were part of his administration and that the GOP has strong connections to the organization that initiated it.
During a gathering in Michigan, just a week after a 20-year-old shooter attacked a Trump event in Butler, Pennsylvania—resulting in one death and two injuries while only grazing Donald Trump’s right ear—he addressed the audience. He remarked, “Some people on the far right have introduced this Project 25. I’m not really familiar with it; I do know a few of them. They’re very conservative, almost the complete opposite of the extreme left.”
“You have the far left and the far right, and they’ve introduced something—I'm not really sure what to call it, it's Project 25,” Trump said, mispronouncing the name of the initiative. “Some of the ideas they put forward are very extreme, and I mean really extreme. But honestly, I don’t know much about it, and I’m not interested in learning more.”
The main policy document of Project 2025, titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, details significant reforms targeting various parts of the federal government, not just the White House but also smaller agencies. Former officials from the Trump administration contributed to its chapters. Additionally, several of the proposals in Project 2025 closely mirror those that Trump put forward during his re-election campaign.
As previously mentioned by The Independent, the proposal aims to dismantle existing safeguards, granting Trump extraordinary and centralized power over federal departments. If implemented exactly as stated, a new Trump administration would swiftly dismiss numerous federal employees, paving the way for a wave of loyal supporters who could then use government resources to target his opponents.
The proposal suggests eliminating the US Department of Education, significantly reducing budgets for federal law enforcement agencies, and undermining organizations that oversee broadcasting and campaign financing in order to suppress opposition.
This accumulation of power would not only shield Trump from legal challenges but might also lead to a surge of assaults on immigrants, reproductive health services, and civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals.
The proposal aims to withdraw the federal government's endorsement of commonly used abortion medications, increase the country's nuclear capabilities, resume nuclear arms testing, and deploy active-duty military personnel to carry out arrests at the US-Mexico border, along with various other suggestions.
Democratic representatives in the House, spearheaded by California's Rep. Jared Huffman, established a Stop Project 2025 Task Force. This group aims to work together with fellow Congress members, organizations dedicated to democracy and civil rights, as well as communities directly affected, to investigate, bring attention to, prevent, and counter this right-wing scheme that threatens democratic principles.
"Project 2025 isn't just a concept; it represents a troubling scheme that's actively working to undermine our democratic systems, eliminate checks and balances, weaken the separation of church and state, and impose a far-right agenda that threatens fundamental freedoms and goes against the will of the public," Huffman stated on June 11.
"This represents an unprecedented acceptance of extremist views, fascism, and religious nationalism, driven by the radical right and their wealthy backers," he remarked. "We must develop a united plan to rescue America and prevent this takeover before we run out of time."
Project 2025 was created by a large group of former officials from the Trump administration and other supporters. Almost half of these individuals have received controversial financial backing from organizations associated with conservative donor Leonard Leo, who played a significant role in Trump’s major overhaul of the federal court system.
The proposed changes to the federal government could jeopardize marriage equality and the funding of public schools. Rachel Laser, the president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, warns that this could undermine the principle of separation between church and state and threaten the foundations of our democratic system.
The extensive plan, which spans almost 1,000 pages, begins with a commitment to abolish access to abortion, and the term "abortion" appears almost 200 times throughout the document.
“As Karen Stone, vice president of public policy and government relations at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, points out, their efforts extend beyond just abortion. They are also looking to limit funding for contraception and other preventive services, while also targeting gender-affirming care and sex education.”
Throughout the campaign, the task force acted as a public outreach initiative, particularly as interest in Project 2025 grew on social media. It could now play a crucial role in Congress to counter any attempts by Trump to advance that agenda. However, if Trump maintains complete control, the task force may struggle to intervene unless they forge strong partnerships.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts commented, “Project 2025 won’t be halted by a careless press release filled with errors or by a group of House Democrats who don’t grasp how federal governance works. This task force initiated by House Democrats simply highlights their anxiety about possibly losing control of their authoritarian system. We are determined to persevere, and we will succeed.”
Advisers to the Trump campaign, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, stated last year that any published personnel lists, policy plans, or government agendas should be considered just recommendations.
The campaign acknowledged that contributions from external organizations such as the Heritage Foundation are valued, but they do not represent the campaign's views or positions.
In a statement refuting any ties to the initiative, the Heritage Foundation explained that the proposal serves simply as a framework "for the upcoming conservative president."
"Ultimately, the decision on which recommendations to put into action rests with the president, who we anticipate will be President Trump," the organization stated.
As Trump aims for another term in the White House, Americans will need to be patient and see how things unfold from here.
This article was first released in June 2024 and has since been revised to include new information.
