FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, June 22, 2024, in Philadelphia. Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he "knew nothing about Project 2025." (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
At Sunday’s BET Awards (June 30), Taraji P. Henson sparked political talk at least twice. The first time was when she appeared alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in a “voter” PSA, and the second was when she mentioned Project 2025. The phrase had been trending on social media for days leading up to Taraji’s namedrop.
However, the actress speaking on Project 2025 sparked additional curiosity, especially after a week of surprising political moves from the Supreme Court. So, what exactly is it? Who is behind this “project” and what does it predict? Keep reading to find out all the facts, per the Associated Press.
AP reports that Project 2025 is a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire as many as 50,000 government workers to replace them with Donald Trump loyalists. Additionally, the plan seeks to dismantle parts of the federal government.
The 1,000-page Project 2025 playbook calls for far-reaching changes in government, including rolling back protections for the LGBTQ community and infusing Christianity more deeply into society.
It is being spearheaded and supported by the organization Heritage Foundation and its president, Kevin Roberts. Roberts said in a podcast released this week that Republicans are “in the process of taking this country back.”
“We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,” Kevin Roberts said.
A spokesperson for Project 2025 has claimed that it is not tied to a specific candidate or campaign, though. Instead, the rep described the project as a “coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president.”
However, some of the people involved in Project 2025 are former senior administration officials. The project’s director is Paul Dans, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump. Russ Vought, who was director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, wrote one of the chapters. John McEntee, a former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office in the Trump administration, is a senior adviser.
On Friday (July 5), Donald Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 via his social. media website.
“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Trump has outlined his own plans to remake the government if he wins a second term, including staging the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and imposing tariffs on potentially all imports. His campaign has previously warned outside allies not to presume to speak for the former president and suggested their transition-in-waiting efforts were unhelpful.
Additionally, as previously reported, the majority of justices ruled that ex-presidents have broad immunity from prosecution on Monday (July 1). This move comes just weeks after former President Trump was convicted on 34 counts in his New York Hush Money trial.
The ruling seemingly clears the way for his campaign, just days after the first presidential debate against President Biden. However, Trump’s Washington D.C. election-related charges may now go nowhere, especially before November’s polls open.
Associated Press staff Adriana Gomez Licon and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
