As the presidential election approaches, Republican plans to reform the federal government have garnered national attention, being discussed in news articles and everywhere from TikTok to the BET Awards.
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 is essentially a blueprint for former President Donald Trump to help reform the federal government if he wins the November election.
The document has raised alarm among Democrats and some independents. Earlier this month, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Republicans were taking back the country, citing political violence.
“We're in the process of a second American revolution, and it will remain bloodless if the left allows it,” Roberts said this month on “The War Room,” a podcast founded by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Trump.
Trump, meanwhile, has distanced himself from the plan. “I know nothing about Project 2025,” he wrote on social media. “I have no idea who is behind it. I don't agree with some of what they say and some of the things they say are totally ridiculous and disgusting. I wish them the best of luck in whatever they do but I have no affiliation with them.”
Project 2025 is not tied to any specific candidate or campaign, according to the Associated Press.
Here's what we know about Project 2025.
What is Project 2025?
Also known as the Presidential Transition Project, the 900-page playbook details Republican priorities if elected president, outlining four main goals: restoring the family to the center of American life, dismantling the administrative state, protecting national sovereignty and borders, and ensuring individuals' God-given right to live freely.
The Heritage Foundation says on its website that Project 2025 represents input from more than 100 conservative groups and is the product of more than 400 scholars and policy experts.
What are some of the proposals for Project 2025?
Project 2025 seeks to strengthen the executive branch by placing independent agencies such as the Department of Justice under presidential control.
The proposal seeks to eliminate job protections for thousands of federal workers, potentially replacing them with Trump supporters. According to the Associated Press, up to 50,000 federal workers could be laid off.
The project supports major reforms to numerous agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which it calls a “bloated, arrogant, and increasingly lawless organization.” It also calls for the abolition of the Department of Education and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which are responsible for daily weather forecasts and storm warnings. Project 2025 says the bureau is one of the “primary drivers of the climate warning industry.”
Project 25 wants to remove a long list of terms from all laws and federal regulations, including sexual orientation, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, known as DEI.
The bill calls for outlawing pornography, jailing people who produce and distribute it, and shutting down telecommunications and technology companies that facilitate its spread. It also proposes abolishing the Federal Reserve System and replacing it with “free banking,” in which the government has no say in interest rates or the money supply.
Project 2025, which calls for an end to the “war on oil and gas”, would see investments in renewable energy cuts.
Project 2025 does not call for a nationwide ban on abortion, but proposes removing the abortion drug mifepristone from the market, the BBC reports.
In the spotlight
During the BET Awards on June 30, the show's host, actress Taraji P. Henson, slammed Project 2025.
“Follow me, when it's time to vote, please go out and vote. This isn't just about a presidential election. This is a time to play chess, not checkers. This is a time to make decisions that affect us as human beings,” Henson said. “Pay attention. This is not a secret. Look it up. They are attacking our most vulnerable citizens. Project 2025 is not a game. Look it up!”
After some time, Project 2025 started trending on Google.
This project is Last Week Tonight Host John Oliver criticized the plan on his HBO show.
“These proposals are extreme because the people who wrote them are extreme,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
