This summer more voters have learned the gist of Project 2025, the policy opus intended to guide a second Trump administration, and they’re not happy. That explains why the job is dead these days at the hands of the Trump campaign, just as the Democrats have started the presidential contest behind the candidacy of Kamala Harris.
Opinion columnist
Jackie Calmes
Jackie Calmes brings a critical eye to the national political scene. He has decades of experience in the White House and Congress.
The brutality with which Donald Trump and his key campaign lieutenants allegedly denied any ties to his agenda-setting efforts gave me flashbacks to the Trump presidency, when he suddenly announced change policy or Cabinet member on with a tweet.
Just like that, the person or thing that Trump once liked is delivered with two thumbs on the smartphone button.
“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump wrote under the wrong name “correct” on social media sites last month. “I don’t know who is behind it. I don’t agree with some of what they say and some of what they say is really ridiculous and abysmal. Whatever they do, I appreciate it, but I have nothing to do with them. He repeated the message several times multiple in July, blaming “Radical Left Democrats” for “pure disinformation” about their ties to the effort.
As always, it’s all lies, but while the right-wing coalition behind the blueprint, including several former Trump advisers, continues to promote it, Trump’s enforcers are finally making a shiv — no holds barred. statement Friday from senior campaign consigliere Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita:
“President Trump’s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 has nothing to do with the campaign, does not speak about the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the President in any way. The report of the death of Project 2025 will be greatly welcomed and should be Notice to anyone or group trying to discredit President Trump and his campaign – it will not end well for you.” (Emphasis mine.)
On the same day, the venerable Heritage Foundation, now MAGA, which is in charge of Project 2025, announced that its director Paul Dans is no longer working and that the 2-year-old company will be resigning. Washington Post reported that some contributing authors, who once saw that involvement as a ticket to the job in Trump 2.0, they asked to have the name scratched from the final product. They are not fear mongering: LaCivita is threatening a job ban if Project 2025 collaborators continue to align with Trump’s agenda.
So this is the end? Be skeptical. So very skeptical.
One thing, Trump embraced effort in the beginning. In a speech at the Legacy conference in 2022, he said it was a “detailed plan for what our movement will do … when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America.” CNN reviews of contributors found at least 140 former Trump administration officials, including six Cabinet secretaries.
So, of course, Trump can destroy the Legacy project now that it has become a bogeyman. But if he wins, he will surely use the policy prescription of Project 2025 and the database of 20,000 approved MAGAts to form a government and implement the agenda he has mentioned.
That’s the second reason Project 2025 should be considered alive and well: A lot is Trump’s agenda, only with meat on the policy bone.
Most of the most famous and least popular sections of the project’s 900-plus pages, which media accounts and Democrats have highlighted – “Are you sure he wrote those things?” Harris grinned inquire rally a lot lately – in fact the idea that Trump himself calls for.
Among them: Abolish the Department of Education. Gut the civil service system and return to the spoils system rewarding MAGA loyalists with federal jobs. Removed the ethical walls that have prevented the White House from interfering in Justice Department prosecutions and FBI investigations since Watergate so that Trump could deepen the six criminal cases against him and order new ones against his opponents.
And more: A nationwide mountain immigration attack, with the help of the military, and the deportation of millions of people who live and work here without authorization. Eliminate climate change mitigation programs and other environmental regulations. Stop affirmative action. Cancel President Biden’s student loan aid program.
Trump has talked about everything. Where he and Project 2025 mainly differ is on abortion. Like the rest of us, the former president has seen the power to determine abortion rights in every election since the Supreme Court appointee enabled the reversal of Roe in 2022. He is eager to talk about the federal abortion ban and insists that he will go. problem to the state. Project 2025, however, proposes several federal restrictions on abortion and contraception, and a ban on the delivery of the pill that causes nearly two-thirds of abortions.
Let’s say Trump, as president, leaves the issue of abortion to the states. As we’ve seen, antiabortion appointees to federal courts will almost certainly not hesitate to rule in ways that affect us all. And it still leaves out all the other policy areas where Project 2025 describes the list of policies.
Learn with Project 2025, if you haven’t. Trump’s advisers may have received reports of the deaths, he said. But that’s true, reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. The only way to enforce this is to ensure that Trump does not return to the White House.
@jackiekcalmes
