By Paul Rozycki
Want to know what a second Trump administration might look like? An overview of “Project 2025” might give you a good idea.
The 900-page plan, fully titled Mandate for Leadership, The Conservative Promise, Project 2025, would dramatically change the federal government and shift it to the right.
It was put together by nearly 200 Trump officials and supporters in conjunction with the right-leaning Heritage Foundation as the former president prepared to run in 2024.
At a 2022 Heritage Foundation dinner, Trump endorsed the organization and its goals, saying it was “going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do … when the American people give us a colossal mandate.”
And yes, I know Trump has said he doesn’t know anything about Project 2025 and a few of its leaders have stepped aside during his fall campaign. (For those who buy Trump’s denial, I know a Nigerian prince who would be willing to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.)
But, this marks the ninth edition of the Heritage Foundation’s “Mandate for Leadership” series that began in 1981 with the Reagan administration, which itself claimed to have implemented 60 percent of the Heritage Foundation recommendations.
There is every reason to believe that Project 2025 could become the blueprint for the nation if Trump should win in November.
What is Project 2025?
Covering all the details of the 900-page document is beyond the scope of a short column, but the overall goal of the project is to dramatically shift power to the executive branch and institute a long list of right-leaning programs. Many critics claim it could lead to an authoritarian dictatorship, while proponents claim it “paves the way for an effective conservative administration.”
Here’s a breakdown of some of the document’s 10 main points:
- End non-partisan civil service and make federal employees political appointments. Project 2025 would make tens of thousands of federal civil service employees political appointees, loyal to President Trump.
- Place the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Justice Department under presidential control. It would turn the FBI and the Justice Department into an arm of the executive branch.
- Eliminate the Department of Education. This part of the Project would eliminate the Department of Education and most federal support for programs like Head Start.
- Limit immigration. Project 2025 advocates new border agencies and increased deportation efforts.
- Block abortion access. The document outlines ways to limit reproductive freedom and make it a criminal offense to mail abortion pills.
- Reduce climate change efforts. Project 2025 would eliminate climate-related agencies and encourage more fossil fuel production.
- Reinstate the military draft and ban transgender individuals from the military. The plan considers reinstating the draft and banning transgender individuals from enlisting.
- Initiate major economic changes. The Project advocates tax cuts, abolishing the Federal Reserve, and returning to the gold standard.
- Establish Christian nationalism. Many policies are motivated by Christian nationalism, promoting conservative religious beliefs in law.
- End DEI programs and LGBTQ+ protection. The Project seeks to eliminate protections for LGBTQ+ people and DEI policies.
How Project 2025 would be carried out
The Project lays out four stages of completely reworking the federal government. The first stage includes the overall goals. The second stage outlines a 180-day transition plan. The third stage focuses on hiring pro-Trump conservative allies. The fourth stage involves creating a “Presidential Administrative Academy” to train future government employees.
The implications of Project 2025
Even if Trump were to be reelected, it’s not certain that all of Project 2025 would happen overnight — if at all. Some goals would take action by Congress, and some might be challenged in courts.
But the threat of even a few of Project 2025’s ideas is enormous. Trump’s 2024 comment that he wouldn’t be a dictator “except for day one” could become a reality if allowed to fire and hire civil servants at will.
If anyone has any doubts about what’s at stake in this year’s election, consider how Project 2025 could change the nation.
