Project 2025 has emerged as a significant blueprint outlining a conservative vision for a potential second presidential term for Donald Trump. This extensive policy document, spanning over 900 pages, proposes a sweeping expansion of presidential power and the implementation of a socially conservative agenda across various aspects of American life. While Donald Trump has publicly distanced himself from Project 2025 amidst criticism of its more radical proposals, his administration has appointed several individuals associated with the project to key government positions. Furthermore, many of his initial executive orders align closely with the recommendations detailed in this comprehensive document. Understanding Project 2025 is crucial to grasping one potential trajectory of a future Trump administration.
The Genesis of Project 2025: A Heritage Foundation Initiative
Project 2025 originates from the Heritage Foundation, a prominent right-wing think tank based in Washington D.C. The foundation has a history of developing policy proposals for incoming Republican administrations, dating back to 1981 with Ronald Reagan’s presidency. This practice of think tanks offering policy “wish lists” is common in US politics across the ideological spectrum.
The Heritage Foundation has demonstrably held influence during Republican presidencies. Notably, during Trump’s first term, the think tank asserted that the White House had adopted nearly two-thirds of its policy suggestions. The latest iteration, Project 2025, was launched in April 2023 but initially received limited attention outside of policy circles. However, as the presidential campaign intensified, the document became a focal point of debate, particularly drawing criticism from Democratic opposition.
Democrats actively mobilized against Project 2025, establishing a “Stop Project 2025 Task Force” and even creating a tip line to gather information on the Heritage Foundation’s activities. The Harris campaign consistently highlighted the project in public statements and interviews. In response to the growing scrutiny, Donald Trump publicly distanced himself from Project 2025 in July 2024. “I know nothing about Project 2025,” he stated on Truth Social. “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.”
Despite Trump’s disavowal, the team behind Project 2025 included numerous former Trump administration officials. Paul Dans, the project’s director and former chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management under Trump, exemplifies this connection. While Dans later departed from the project, other key figures involved in Project 2025 have been appointed to influential government roles.
Russell Vought, a self-described Christian nationalist and a significant contributor to Project 2025, was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Office of Budget Management. Senator Chuck Schumer characterized Vought as “the chief architect of Project 2025, its intellectual inspiration.” Vought was also placed in charge of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that the Trump administration has expressed interest in dismantling. Other Project 2025 authors nominated for government positions include John Ratcliffe (CIA director), Brendan Carr (Federal Communications Commission), Tom Homan (“border czar”), Paul Atkins (Securities and Exchange Commission), and Peter Navarro (trade advisor). The Heritage Foundation states that over 100 conservative organizations contributed to Project 2025, many of which are poised to wield considerable influence in Washington.
The Project 2025 document itself articulates four primary policy objectives: to restore the family as the central unit of American life; to dismantle the administrative state; to defend national sovereignty and borders; and to protect God-given individual rights to live freely. Several proposals within Project 2025 have already served as the foundation for Trump’s executive orders, although similar ideas are also present in other policy documents, including the Republican platform and Trump’s Agenda47 campaign manifesto.
Project 2025’s Vision for Government: Centralizing Presidential Power
A cornerstone of Project 2025 is the proposal to consolidate federal bureaucracy under direct presidential control. This controversial concept, known as the “unitary executive theory,” would extend presidential authority to independent agencies, including the Department of Justice. Proponents argue this would streamline decision-making and enable the president to swiftly implement policies across various sectors.
The document further advocates for eliminating job protections for numerous government employees, paving the way for their replacement with political appointees who are more aligned with the president’s agenda. Project 2025 characterizes the FBI as a “bloated, arrogant, increasingly lawless organization” and calls for significant reforms within the agency and others. It also proposes the complete elimination of the Department of Education.
Echoing Project 2025’s principles, early in his first term, Trump initiated measures to remove job protections for career civil servants and freeze federal spending. Through figures like Elon Musk and initiatives such as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the White House has sought to drastically reduce federal spending. While the precise details and legal standing of these cuts remain unclear, DOGE, though not an official government entity, operates as an external advisory team with broad presidential authority. These actions indicate Trump’s intention to significantly reshape the federal government, aligning with the overarching goals of Project 2025.
Abortion and Family Values in Project 2025
Abortion is a prominent issue within Project 2025, mentioned approximately 200 times in the document, and has become a source of considerable controversy. While Project 2025 does not explicitly call for a nationwide abortion ban, and Trump has stated he would not support such a law, it proposes several measures to restrict abortion access. These include withdrawing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market and utilizing existing laws to prevent its delivery through mail.
Furthermore, Project 2025 suggests enhanced data collection related to abortion and advocates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should adopt a “biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family.” In contrast, Trump has generally maintained that abortion laws should primarily be determined at the state level.
However, during confirmation hearings, Trump’s nominee for health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr., indicated that the president had instructed him to review the safety record of mifepristone, leaving open the possibility of further federal regulation of the drug. Trump also issued an executive order aimed at preventing federal funds from being used for abortion, a policy explicitly outlined in Project 2025.
Immigration Policy and Border Security under Project 2025
Project 2025 advocates for increased funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, a signature promise of Trump’s 2016 campaign. While Trump’s pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants is not explicitly detailed in Project 2025, the document emphasizes “thoroughly enforce immigration laws.”
The main chapter on immigration within Project 2025 proposes dismantling the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and integrating its functions with immigration enforcement units from other agencies. This consolidation would create a significantly larger and more powerful border policing apparatus. Additional proposals include eliminating visa categories for victims of crime and human trafficking, increasing fees for immigrants, and offering expedited application processing for migrants willing to pay a premium.
However, Trump’s primary focus for voters has been mass deportations, rather than bureaucratic reorganizations or visa adjustments. On this specific issue, his administration’s approach may diverge, and potentially go further, than the specific proposals outlined in Project 2025.
Energy, Climate, and Trade Policies in Project 2025
Energy policy represents a significant area of alignment between Trump and Project 2025, encapsulated by the campaign slogan “Drill, baby, drill.” Both advocate for increased fossil fuel production and a withdrawal from international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement.
Project 2025 proposes substantial cuts to federal funding for renewable energy research and investment. It calls for the next president to “stop the war on oil and natural gas,” a sentiment echoed by the Trump campaign. Regarding trade, Project 2025 presents two contrasting perspectives: one favoring free trade and another supporting tariffs. Trump has clearly embraced the latter, implementing import taxes targeting countries like Canada, Mexico, and China.
Economic advisors associated with Project 2025 suggest a second Trump administration should implement significant corporate and income tax cuts, abolish the Federal Reserve, and even consider a return to a gold-backed currency. While Trump has commented on some of these economic proposals, his administration’s initial focus has been heavily centered on tariffs.
Education, Tech, and DEI Initiatives under Project 2025
Early in his first term, Trump took steps to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and declared that government departments would recognize only two genders. These actions align with Project 2025’s broader objective of combating “woke” ideology, which includes targeting DEI initiatives and gender terminology.
Project 2025 also calls for expanding school choice, essentially using public funds to subsidize religious and private schools, a concept Trump supported with an early executive order. Furthermore, it advocates for abolishing the Department of Education, another idea Trump has indicated he favors. Beyond education, Project 2025 proposes banning pornography and shutting down tech and telecom companies that facilitate access to adult content. However, this has not been a primary focus for the Trump administration, which has garnered support from various tech industry leaders. Trump’s views on the tech industry have been inconsistent and do not appear to be primarily driven by concerns about sexual content.
The Uncertain Future of Project 2025
The creation of Project 2025 was a major undertaking, supported by a $22 million budget from the Heritage Foundation. It includes detailed implementation strategies, such as creating a database of conservative individuals for government appointments and a training program for these new personnel. While there are evident areas of agreement and personnel overlap between Project 2025 and the Trump agenda, many of the project’s themes were already being promoted independently by the Trump campaign.
As Trump’s second term potentially unfolds, the extent to which Project 2025 will shape the vast US federal government remains uncertain. Democrats have indicated they will continue to oppose the proposals and highlight Project 2025’s influence. Moreover, many of Trump’s executive orders and policy actions are likely to face ongoing political and legal challenges.
