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The dossier is a detailed document prepared by the powerful Heritage Foundation, with the participation of people close to the former president, but which differs from the official program of the Republican Party.
Earlier this week, the Republican Party adopted its political program for a possible next administration. However, it is another roadmap, much more radical and driven by those closest to Donald Trump, that is stirring up debate. Entitled “Project 2025”, this 887-page plan was written by the Heritage Foundation, a very influential conservative think tank in Washington. In particular, it plans to reform the status of federal civil servants, until now protected from alternations of political power, which could allow Trump, in the event of his return to the White House in 2025, to position loyal ultraconservatives in strategic positions. But it is other points – such as abortion and education – that have sparked the greatest controversy. Find out more about this project from which Trump has tried to dissociate himself.
What is “Project 2025”?
An 887-page document that lays out a road map for a possible next Republican administration was prepared by the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank. The foundation’s president, Kevin Roberts, had been tipped as a possible candidate for chief of staff in a possible second Trump term. The document also benefited from the collaboration of more than 100 conservative organizations.
“We are on the path to a second American Revolution, which will happen without bloodshed, if the left does not oppose it,” Roberts said in July, a statement that sparked considerable controversy. The foundation produced the first such document in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was about to take office. It also developed a road map before Trump’s first administration, and after a year in office, it was proud that two-thirds of its recommendations had been adopted. However, it is not an official policy platform of the Republican Party.
What are some of the ideas proposed by the project?
The document suggests reforming the federal civil service statute, allowing political appointments to positions currently held by career civil servants protected by law. This would position loyal ultraconservatives in strategic positions if Trump returns to the White House in 2025. It also proposes restructuring federal agencies to centralize executive power in the White House, making it easier to implement conservative policies on issues such as immigration and abortion.
Among the most criticized measures is statewide “abortion oversight.” He proposes banning the abortion pill and limiting the morning-after pill. He also considers eliminating clean energy programs and more aggressively promoting fossil fuels. On immigration, he proposes increasing funding for a border wall with Mexico and eliminating visas for victims of crime or human trafficking.
The document proposes eliminating corporate and income taxes, abolishing the Federal Reserve, and even exploring a return to a gold-backed currency. One proposal suggests banning pornography and shutting down the telecommunications and technology companies that provide access to it. It proposes eliminating a long list of terms from all federal laws and regulations, including “sexual orientation,” “gender equality,” “abortion,” and “reproductive rights.” It seeks to end diversity, equity, or inclusion programs in schools and government departments.
The Heritage Foundation has also created a database of conservatives available to fill positions in a possible second Trump term.
What is Trump’s position on this project?
Faced with the controversy surrounding the document, Trump has preferred to distance himself. “I haven’t seen it, I have no idea who’s behind it,” the candidate said on his Truth Social network. Trump added that the program supported by the Republican Party had “nothing to do” with that of the Heritage Foundation. However, in 2022, Trump had said that the work of the Heritage Foundation would lay the foundation for his movement during a second term. The official Republican platform presents more moderate positions, notably on abortion. The “2025 Project” takes up several of Trump’s ideas, such as dismantling the Department of Education, reforming the federal government and carrying out mass arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants.
How did the Democrats react?
Joe Biden has seized the opportunity to exploit the controversy and use it as a central plank of his campaign. He accuses Trump of trying to hide his ties to the bill. He considers the “2025 Project” to be enough to “terrorize” voters. Democrats have highlighted the involvement of Stephen Miller, Ben Carson and Christopher Miller in the development of the “2025 Project”, all of whom were members of the cabinet of the first Trump administration. In Milwaukee, where the Republican Convention is being held, posters denouncing the “terrifying agenda of the 2025 Project” of Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been put up. Spokespeople for the Heritage Foundation have criticized the Democrats’ comments as “misinformation”.
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