Global InformationProject 2025 information
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| Purpose | Plan to reshape the U.S. federal government to support the agenda of Republican Party president |
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| Location |
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Director | Paul Dans |
Main organ | Mandate for Leadership |
Parent organization | Heritage Foundation |
Budget | $22 million[1] |
| Website | www |
Project 2025 (officially the Presidential Transition Project) is a collection of policy proposals to reshape the executive branch of the U.S. federal government at an unprecedented scale in the event of a Republican victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.[2][3] Established in 2022, the project seeks to recruit tens of thousands of conservatives to Washington, D.C., in order to replace existing federal civil service workers whom Republicans characterize as part of the "deep state", to further the objectives of the next Republican president.[4] Although the project cannot promote a specific presidential candidate, many contributors have close ties to Donald Trump and the Trump 2024 presidential campaign.[5] The plan would perform a swift restructuring of the executive branch under a maximalist version of the unitary executive theory — a dubious legal theory proposing the president of the United States has absolute power over the executive branch — upon inauguration.[3][6][7]
The development of the plan is led by the The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank, in collaboration with over 100 partners including Turning Point USA, led by Charlie Kirk; the Conservative Partnership Institute including former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as senior partner; the Center for Renewing America, led by former Trump-appointee Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought; and America First Legal, led by former Trump Senior Advisor Stephen Miller.[8][9]
Project 2025 envisions widespread changes across the entire government, particularly with regard to economic and social policy and the role of the federal government and federal agencies. The plan proposes slashing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funding, dismantling the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, gutting environmental and climate change regulations to favor fossil fuel production, and eliminating the cabinet Departments of Education and Commerce. The independence of various commissions such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission would be ended.[10][11] The Washington Post reported in November 2023 that Project 2025 includes immediately invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy the military for domestic law enforcement and directing the DOJ to pursue Trump adversaries.[12][13] Project Director Paul Dans,[14] a former Trump administration official, said in September 2023 that Project 2025 is "systematically preparing to march into office and bring a new army, aligned, trained, and essentially weaponized conservatives ready to do battle against the deep state."[15]
Project 2025 consists largely of a book of policy recommendations titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise and an accompanying personnel database open for submissions. There is also an online course called the Presidential Administration Academy, and a guide to developing transition plans. Reactions to the plan included variously describing it as authoritarian, an attempt by Trump to become a dictator, and a path leading the United States towards autocracy, with several experts in law criticizing it for violating current constitutional laws that would undermine the rule of law and the separation of powers.[10] Additionally, some conservatives and Republicans also criticized the plan, for example in relation to climate change.[16] The Mandate states that "freedom is defined by God, not man."[17]
- ^ Swan, Jonathan (December 1, 2023). "Paleoconservative or Moderate? Questions for Staffing the Next G.O.P. White House". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ "180-Day Playbook". project2025.org. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Haberman, Savage & Swan 2023was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mascaro, Lisa (August 29, 2023). "Conservative Groups Draw Up Plan to Dismantle the US Government and Replace It with Trump's Vision". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Doyle, Katherine (November 17, 2023). "Donations Have Surged to Groups Linked to Conservative Project 2025". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ^ Baker, Carrie (March 8, 2024). "Project 2025: The Right's Dystopian Plan to Dismantle Civil Rights and What It Means for Women". Ms. Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Dorf, Michael C. (June 19, 2023). "The Misguided Unitary Executive Theory Gains Ground". verdict.justia.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Hirsh, Michael (September 9, 2023). "Inside the Next Republican Revolution". Politico. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ Allen, Mike; VandeHei, Jim (November 13, 2023). "Behind the Curtain: Trump Allies Pre-Dcreen Loyalists for Unprecedented Power Grab". Axios. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Stone, Peter (November 22, 2023). "'Openly Authoritarian Campaign': Trump's Threats of Revenge Fuel Alarm". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ Bob Ortega; Kyung Lah; Allison Gordon; Nelli Black (April 27, 2024). "What Trump's war on the 'Deep State' could mean: 'An army of suck-ups'". CNN.
Project 2025's blueprint envisions dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI; disarming the Environmental Protection Agency by loosening or eliminating emissions and climate-change regulations; eliminating the Departments of Education and Commerce in their entirety
- ^ Arnsdorf, Isaac; Barrett, Devlin; Dawsey, Josh (November 5, 2023). "Trump and Allies Plot Revenge, Justice Department Control in a Second Term". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
- ^ Bob Ortega; Kyung Lah; Allison Gordon; Nelli Black (April 27, 2024). "What Trump's war on the 'Deep State' could mean: 'An army of suck-ups'". CNN.
Clark also helped draft portions of the Project 2025 blueprint for a second Trump term, including outlining the use of the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy the military for domestic law enforcement, as first reported by the Washington Post.
- ^ "Paul Dans". Heritage.org. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ Gira Grant, Melissa (January 4, 2024). "The Right Is Winning Its War on Schools". The New Republic. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Friedman, Lisa (August 4, 2023). "A Republican 2024 Climate Strategy: More Drilling, Less Clean Energy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Ward, Alexander; Przybyla, Heidi (February 20, 2024). "Trump Allies Prepare to Infuse 'Christian Nationalism' in Second Administration". Politico. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.