- "Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign— it will not end well for you." Chris LaCivita, Trump campaign manager.
On Tuesday, the campaign manager for former President Donald Trump informed the media that Project 2025, A Heritage Foundation blueprint for a conservative administration, attempts to “misrepresent” their influence over a Trump platform.
The announcement comes as the architect of the policy initiative, Paul Dans, resigned from the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday.
“President Trump’s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign, did not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the President in any way,” read the statement from Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita.
Project 2025 is an initiative launched by the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank based in Washington, DC. The project’s purpose is to prepare a detailed policy agenda and staffing plan for enacting various conservative policies in the next presidential administration.
Democrats have seized on the 900-page report and made it the centerpiece of talking points in multiple mass Zoom calls this week, designed to mobilize an apathetic Democratic voter base that was slipping away with President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.
Now, with Vice President Kamala Harris being promoted by party leaders, the campaign has launched a digital effort to re-energize voters by identity groups. Campaign organizers say 180,000 people participated Monday in a “White Dudes for Harris” Zoom call featuring North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper among the speakers. It raised almost $4 million. Similar Zoom calls are being held for black queer men, south Asian women, Latinas, native women, and white women — all featuring party leaders and celebrities. In the calls speakers try to clearly link the Democrat message on Project 2025 with Trump.
In Cooper’s comments he accused Trump, his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Trump Republicans in general, of disrespecting women.
“From Trump’s sexual assaults, to Vance’s misogynistic comments, it’s pretty clear that disrespect of women permeates Donald Trump land, and MAGA Republicans,” he said.
“Most people are saying Project 2025, but it’s correct name is Project 1825 because that’s where Trump wants to take us back to a time when Blacks were enslaved in America, a time when women had no rights,” Rep. Alma Adams, NC-01, said Saturday on a Zoom call of NC Women for Harris.
Broadly, the Heritage paper is a comprehensive set of policy proposals rooted in conservative values, addressing issues such as the economy, healthcare, immigration, national security, and education. It includes a process for vetting potential candidates, and training them, for important positions within the administration. However, among Republicans there is a disagreement on whether its development was collaborative and whether it truly represents the party goals.
As Democrats sought to label the paper as “Trump’s playbook,” the Heritage Foundation has made effort to fact-check Democrat talking points, even before the dismissal from Trump.
While you’re here, you should know that Vice President Harris’ campaign admitted that they’re lying about Project 2025 to manipulate voters🧵 pic.twitter.com/cI7FAxPL6D
— Project 2025 (@Prjct2025) July 30, 2024
“I have no idea who is behind it,” Trump commented earlier this month 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. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
Tuesday’s media statement from the campaign seeks to set an unequivocal policy boundary.
“Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you.”
Dans announced his resignation from Heritage on Tuesday with a message to colleagues.
