The Left’s Project 2025 Smear
Naturally, a basic list of conservative policy goals has sent leftists into hysterics.
It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration.
So state the writers of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project (known as Project 2025), an initiative of a coalition of conservative organizations led by The Heritage Foundation. They say, “The project will build on four pillars that will, collectively, pave the way for an effective conservative administration: a policy agenda, personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook.” Each of those pillars has a dedicated link at the group’s website.
It seems innocent enough — desirable, in fact, if the goal is to save our Republic — but the Left senses a threat to its established order and is trying to turn it into something nefarious. The Biden-Harris HQ X account, for example, represented it as ushering in a “Handmaid’s Tale” dystopia.
Fourth of July under Trump’s Project 2025 pic.twitter.com/D72WNfnSCf
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) July 4, 2024
Leftists have told so many lies about Project 2025, in fact, that the group was obliged to issue a lengthy fact-check of an exemplary false post by famed political theorist Star Wars actor Mark Hamill.
(As an aside, it’s a remarkable testament to how far Star Wars has fallen that the former Jedi master is such a dedicated spokesman for the Empire.)
Another gentleman steeped in the study of political theory acting for Disney (Marvel this time), Mark Ruffalo, opined, “Project 2025 is not a game, it’s white Christian nationalism.” He claims it’ll bring “forced birth and forced religion” because it’s put out by “Trump’s American Taliban.”
On the contrary, says political analyst David Harsanyi. “I decided to read it,” he says, albeit with “plenty of skimming,” and “I couldn’t find a single White Christian Nationalist policy.” Instead, he says, it amounts to “a wish list of long-held, run-of-the-mill conservative policy positions.”
Unlike the men famous for playing fantasy heroes, Harsanyi knows what he’s talking about.
One thing is true, and it explains the leftist hysterics. In his first term, Donald Trump often outsourced or at least leaned on Heritage for policy and the Federalist Society for judicial picks. Those partnerships worked out quite well, and they may be repeated in a second term. That said, Trump demonstrated with his GOP platform that he aims to win, not be tied to anything particularly ideological.
So, it’s no surprise that he had this to say about the Heritage initiative: “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
As is often the case with Trump’s statements, you can interpret them however you like, depending on whether or not you like him.
Those who like Trump prefer the fact that he is exceedingly vague and hyperbolic. It’s a lot easier to find common ground that way. For his most dedicated fans, it’s not about the policies anyway; it’s about the man.
The Washington Post’s leftist ideologue news analyst Philip Bump won’t let Trump back away. “Project 2025 is obviously intertwined with Trump’s universe of allies and staff,” he writes, adding that “a second Trump administration will depend on those allies and that staff to run the government.” He warns, “Trump wants voters to assume that he won’t simply implement what conservatives and the right-most elements of his party want to see. He then intends to be elected and staff his administration with people who will do precisely that.”
If that’s somehow different from how Democrats operate, I await Bump’s explanation.
Both parties are backed by ideologically committed thinkers who put forth policy proposals, hoping candidates will follow them. “Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign,” said the group in a statement. Instead, these are “recommendations for the next conservative president … who we believe will be President Trump.” Trump’s actual record was remarkably consistent with the goals outlined by Project 2025. The group aims to recruit and train 20,000 conservatives who could staff a second Trump administration. It’s hard to overstate how critical that could be in repeating the 2017-2020 success.
Perhaps Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said it best: “You might say that all of this attention means we’re right over the target.”
Note: Our Patriot Foundation Trust is an Advisory Board member organization of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project. Mark Alexander has been closely involved with Heritage Foundation for decades.
