Project 2025: The Radical Conservative Plan to Reshape America Under Trump | WSJ

Summary

Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation initiative, outlines a conservative policy blueprint aiming to reshape the U.S. government. It includes a policy agenda targeting the 'administrative state,' a personnel database for conservative appointments, an online academy for training, and a playbook for a president's first 180 days. The plan, which echoes Trump's policies, has raised concerns over its radical proposals and potential impact on democracy and federal agencies.

Takeaways

• 📜 Project 2025 is a 920-page document that aims to establish the most conservative executive branch in modern U.S. history.
• 🚨 The project, led by the Heritage Foundation, proposes purging civil servants and dismantling government departments like the Department of Education.
• 🔄 Mass deportation is a key objective, with plans to deport millions of illegal immigrants.
• ❌ Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025, but Democrats are skeptical.
• 📝 Project 2025 focuses heavily on cultural issues, frequently mentioning terms like 'woke' and 'radical.'
• 💼 The project involves a four-pillar plan: a policy agenda, a personnel database, an online academy, and a 180-day playbook for conservative governance.
• 🔧 The first pillar seeks to dismantle the 'deep state,' eliminating many federal jobs and departments, including transforming the FBI.
• 🖥️ The second pillar is a personnel database, built by Oracle, to pre-vet conservative employees for future administrations.
• 🎓 The third pillar is an online academy to train future government workers in conservative values.
• 📅 The fourth pillar outlines a plan for the first 180 days of a conservative presidency, reviving Trump's 'Schedule F' to control civil servants.

Q & A

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 is a comprehensive plan designed to execute a conservative agenda if enacted. It includes a blueprint for a new administration, focusing on purging the government of thousands of civil servants, dismantling certain departments, and executing a right-wing agenda.

Who is behind Project 2025?

Project 2025 is the brainchild of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank and lobbying group that has been influential in Republican administrations since the Reagan era.

What are the four main pillars of Project 2025?

The four main pillars of Project 2025 include a policy plan, a personnel database, an online academy, and a playbook for the president's first 180 days in office.

What does the policy plan of Project 2025 entail?

The policy plan focuses on dismantling the administrative state, which includes purging tens of thousands of federal employees, replacing them with conservative picks, and potentially eliminating entire cabinet departments such as the Department of Education.

How does Project 2025 plan to transform the FBI?

The plan suggests transforming the FBI into a political task force that is accountable to the president, implying a shift towards a more direct presidential control over the agency.

What is the purpose of the personnel database in Project 2025?

The personnel database is designed to recruit and vet Americans for potential roles in the next conservative administration, ensuring loyalty to the president and adherence to conservative values.

What role does the online presidential administration academy play in Project 2025?

The online academy is intended to train future bureaucrats in conservative values and governing, preparing them for specific roles within a conservative administration.

How does Project 2025's playbook for the first 180 days differ from traditional governance?

The playbook is designed to allow a new president to quickly implement Project 2025's policies, including potentially controversial measures like mass deportations and the use of Schedule F to convert career civil servants into political appointees.

What is Schedule F, and how does it relate to Project 2025?

Schedule F is an executive order that would allow the president to convert career civil servants into political appointees, enabling the president to fire them for disloyalty. Project 2025's playbook includes a plan to implement Schedule F to consolidate power.

What is the unitary executive theory, and how does it feature in Project 2025?

The unitary executive theory is a legal principle suggesting the president has broad executive powers. Project 2025 assumes this theory, giving the president the ability to enact policies without much congressional oversight.

How does Project 2025 address immigration?

Project 2025 calls for closing the border and initiating the largest mass deportation project in U.S. history, aiming to send back 12 million illegal aliens to their native countries.