Project 2025: Is Donald Trump Adhering to a Right-Wing Strategy—and What Lies Ahead? | US News

“I haven’t seen it, and I have no intention of seeing it.” That was Donald Trump during his campaign, evading questions about Project 2025, a right-wing initiative aimed at overhauling significant aspects of the U.S. government.

Developed by a leading conservative think tank, Project 2025 seeks to dramatically transform America. Within its 900 pages, it outlines a strategy for a president to enhance their authority by reducing the federal workforce and eliminating the Department of Education.

While some view it as an anti-woke “blueprint,” others regard it as a serious threat to American democracy.

The document drew significant attention in last year’s election, prompting Mr. Trump to distance himself from its content, insisting it was unrelated to his campaign.

However, just 100 days into his second presidency, the actions taken so far resemble the outline of Project 2025.

Paul Dans, the architect behind the plan, remarked that Trump’s accomplishments in office are “beyond my wildest dreams.”

How closely does the current administration’s path align with the tenets of Project 2025?

Project 2025 was introduced two years ago by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent think tank with conservative leanings based in Washington D.C.

It emphasized the need to “dismantle the administrative state,” proposing radical modifications in how the country operates, as well as creating a database of potential candidates for future conservative governance.

Some view it as a “playbook” for reshaping America, though Dr. Emma Long, an associate professor at the University of East Anglia, considers it more of a “wishlist.”

Numerous contributors to the document, such as main author Russell Vought, were former Trump administration officials looking to sidestep past errors and ensure the next Republican president could hit the ground running.

Since Trump returned to the White House, many actions taken by him and his allies have centralized power in the presidency rather than in state institutions—often referred to by some on the right as the “deep state.”

What Project 2025 proposed: The document recommended slashing regulations and making it easier to dismiss federal employees.

It advocates for the president to leverage executive authority to “restrict the bureaucracy,” dismantle the administrative framework, and “defund the woke culture warriors” infiltrating U.S. institutions.

What Trump has enacted: Upon assuming office again, Trump has directed allies to target the alleged “deep state”, exerting more control over federal agencies like the FBI and the Justice Department.

He has begun to categorize thousands of federal employees as political appointments, facilitating their dismissal if they do not display alignment with his agenda, while also aiming to reduce the overall number of federal workers.

“It’s radical,” asserts Professor Inderjeet Parmar from City St George’s, University of London. “It could be viewed as an assault on the state to reshape it.”

What Project 2025 stated: “Illegal immigration should be eliminated, not just managed; the border should be sealed, not merely prioritized.”

What Trump has initiated: He has vowed to enforce wide-reaching deportations and declared a national emergency at the southern border.

Moreover, he has surpassed Project 2025’s proposals by aiming to abolish birthright citizenship, a constitutional guarantee.

What Project 2025 proposed: “The next conservative President must render American civil society’s institutions hard targets for woke culture warriors,” suggesting the elimination of terms such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), gender equality, and abortion.

What Trump has implemented: He has declared a war on “woke” culture, actively acting to curtail it. His executive orders have asserted that there are only two genders and sought to terminate government support for DEI initiatives, while the Pentagon has purged DEI-related content from its websites.

Furthermore, numerous federal employees received communication instructing them to report any attempts to “conceal” diversity efforts in their agencies under threat of “consequences.”

What Project 2025 noted: Interestingly, the document contains contrasting views on tariffs and trade.

One contributor argues for increased tariffs on nations that do not lower theirs to match America’s, while another suggests that tariffs should be eliminated altogether and that the president should not have the power to create them.

What Trump has done: Although he has shown flexibility on various policies, President Trump has long expressed a fondness for tariffs.

His recent series of global tariffs has adversely affected markets and left allies dissatisfied.

This represents a significant divergence from the Heritage Foundation, which typically advocates for free trade, notes Prof. Parmar.

What Project 2025 stated: “Federal education policy should be limited, and the federal Department of Education should ultimately be abolished.”

It argues that bureaucrats at the department “inject racist, anti-American, ahistorical propaganda into America’s classrooms,” referencing critical race theory.

What Trump has done: He signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the Department of Education, leading to a staffing reduction by half. Additionally, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has eliminated numerous “woke” contracts, including the closure of a research office tracking students’ progress.

Schools and colleges perceived as endorsing “critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content” will face funding cuts.

Dr. Long suggests that the ultimate aim is to shutter the department, stating they are currently defunding it to reduce its influence over education.

What Project 2025 proposed: “The next conservative administration should reduce USAID’s global presence, ideally reverting to the agency’s budget levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“It should also deradicalize USAID’s programs and organizational structures while building upon the conservative reforms initiated by the first Trump administration.”

What Trump has done: He has gone much further, attempting to dismantle USAID entirely.

Foreign aid programs worth billions have been cut, leading to potentially severe consequences. For instance, halting funding for organizations tackling HIV could cause an estimated 500,000 fatalities in South Africa.

What Project 2025 stated: “The Biden Administration’s extreme climate policies have exacerbated global food insecurity and hunger. Its anti-fossil fuel agenda has led to a sharp increase in global energy prices.”

What Trump has enacted: Rejoined the United States from the Paris climate agreement and rolled back President Biden’s electric vehicle goals while pledging to “drill, baby, drill”.

What Project 2025 highlighted: The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate abortion protections in Roe v. Wade is celebrated as “the greatest pro-family victory in a generation”—but urges that the progress must not stop there.

Project 2025 advocated for enforcing a 150-year-old law, the Comstock Act, which criminalizes mailing obscene materials, arguing it could be used to obstruct the distribution of abortion pills.

Critics argue that this could lead to a de facto ban on medication abortion.

What Trump has done: Although his initial wave of executive orders did not include measures to enforce the Comstock Act, Dr. Long noted that it is still early in the president’s term.

Additionally, Trump has indicated support for actions against abortion access, including rolling back two executive orders aimed at protecting the right to choose that were signed by Biden after the demise of Roe v. Wade.

Nonetheless, Prof. Parmar contends that Trump may recognize the “broad support for some degree of choice,” which might explain his hesitancy toward a nationwide ban.

What Project 2025 underscored: The comprehensive playbook urged U.S. allies to “assume greater responsibility for their defense capabilities.”

It pointed out that the U.S. faces “real threats” from antagonists like Russia, as evidenced by Vladimir Putin’s violent campaign in Ukraine. The U.S. must meet these threats head-on with an honest acknowledgment of the need for choice, discipline, and appropriate defense funding.

What Trump has enacted: In line with Project 2025’s ideas, Trump and his administration have urged NATO members to increase their defense expenditures.

However, his desire for a rapid resolution to the war in Ukraine has led him to put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seemingly exerting less pressure on Mr. Putin initially.

What Project 2025 stated: TikTok is “effectively a means of Chinese espionage” and should be prohibited by the president.

What Trump has tried: He has pursued negotiations for a U.S. company to acquire the app’s operations or face a potential ban.

“He recognized that TikTok could connect him with young voters in his base,” says Prof. Parmar, highlighting why the president might prefer to retain the app.

Does Project 2025 underpin Trump’s policies? Experts suggest it’s best understood as aligning concepts within the U.S. right, along with specific intersections of personnel.

While many of Trump’s actions since returning to office align with the provocative notions outlined in Project 2025, this relationship may be more accurately seen as an alignment within similar realms on the right.

“Alignment is likely a more accurate term than viewing it as a strict playbook,” Dr. Long states.

“It’s not surprising there’s overlap,” she notes, observing the numerous connections between Trump associates and the Heritage Foundation.

Prof. Parmar agreed, highlighting that a number of Project 2025’s key architects are now influential within the Trump administration, allowing them to implement significant aspects of this agenda.

What’s on the horizon?

If Trump continues to follow the lead of Project 2025—whether deliberately or subconsciously—there are unfulfilled elements of the document to consider:

• The emphasis on family, which it describes as being “in crisis.” It argues, “It’s time for policy makers to elevate family authority, formation, and cohesion as a top priority, even leveraging government power, including through the tax code, to restore the American family,” with one author emphasizing, “Every threat to family stability must be addressed.”

• A potential increase in restrictions on abortion rights, possibly using the Comstock Act

• A crackdown on big tech companies that are said to be “abusing their dominant positions,” with an author stating, “The worst of these companies prey on children, like drug dealers, to ensnare them with their mobile applications.”

The extent to which Trump 2.0 continues to reflect the provocative suggestions in Project 2025 will be pivotal in the coming years, with the potential of significant transformations across the American state.