Nearly 900 pages of proposed changes, one more radical than the other – this is "Project 2025". It is said to be a blueprint for the development of the US if Donald Trump becomes president. What is provided there.
"Project 2025"” is the work of the conservative foundation "Heritage" (from English: inheritance). The Republican presidential candidate initially directly denied even knowing what he was. In its own social network “Truth Social“ Donald Trump said he had no idea who the author of the proposals was and that he did not even agree with some of them, calling others "ridiculous and appalling". In fact, however, Trump knows the people behind these ideas well.
Head of “Project 2025” is Paul Dance, who worked in the Trump administration, writes the British public media BBC. In addition to him, the team that prepared “Project 2025” also includes Spencer Chretien and Russell Voth, who also worked for the administration of the former president during his term.
"The Second American Revolution"?
The plan "Project 2025" includes calls to replace civil servants with Trump loyalists, eliminate the Department of Education, place the Department of Justice under the president's control and ban the abortion pill, explains Britain's “Guardian”.
The chairman of the “Heritage” called the project “the second American revolution” and added that she will remain bloodless, but only if “the left allows”. This provoked representatives of the Democratic Party to accuse Donald Trump's campaign and his supporters of trying to “destroy the very idea of America”, writes the BBC.
Four main objectives
The document "Project 2025" outlines four main goals: restoring the family as the core of American life; dismantling of the administrative state; protection of the country's sovereignty and borders; and guaranteeing God-given individual rights to live freely.
How exactly will they be achieved? One suggestion is that the entire “federal bureaucracy” to be placed entirely under the direct control of the President. Thus, the head of state will be able to impose policies in a number of areas. It is also proposed to remove job protections for thousands of civil servants and replace them with politically connected associates.
Radical changes
Among the government structures that “Project 2025” wants to limit or even eliminate, is for example the FBI. The document claims that the FBI was “arrogant” and increasingly went “outside the law”. There is also talk of abolishing the US Department of Education. The document calls for parental control over schools and is directed against the so-called “woke“ propaganda. It proposes to remove a long list of terms from all federal laws and regulations, including "sexual orientation," "diversity, equality, and inclusion," "gender equality," "abortion," and "reproductive rights".
One of Trump's main promises from 2016 - the wall along the border with Mexico - is also mentioned in “Project 2025”. According to the document prepared by the conservative think tank “Heritage Foundation”, there will be additional funding for it. Immigration is a major theme in the bill, which envisions consolidating various U.S. agencies dealing with migrants into one and greatly expanding their powers. It is even proposed that migrants who pay a fee be allowed into the country more quickly.
Proposals to end state funding and investment in renewable energy, described as “the end of the war on oil and natural gas”, also sparked outrage.
How are American politicians reacting?
Jared Huffman, a congressman from the Democratic Party from the state of California, created a task force "Stop Project 2025", writes the BBC. He described the project as "a dystopian plot already underway to erase our democratic institutions". Huffman said the bill would "eliminate checks and balances, violate the separation of church and state, and impose a far-right agenda that violates basic liberties and violates the public will." According to the democrat from the US Congress, “this coup” to be stopped.
From the “Heritage” on the other hand, they keep accusing the Democrats of organizing a smear campaign against the project with taxpayers' money. Olivia Troye, a former White House adviser to Mike Pence who participated in policy sessions during Trump's first term, said Trump's attempt to distance himself from "Project 2025” is dictated by the realization that his deeply controversial political ideas could sink his candidacy for the elections, writes “Guardian”.