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.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Project 2025: Blueprint for Conservative Transformation

Project 2025 is a comprehensive 920-page document designed to establish the most conservative executive branch in modern American history. It proposes a right-wing agenda that includes purging the government of thousands of civil servants, dismantling the Department of Education, and initiating the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from the project, but critics argue it aligns with his policies. The plan is driven by culture war politics and is backed by over 100 conservative organizations with a $22 million budget. It is the Heritage Foundation's initiative, aiming to correct what they see as 'liberal nonsense' within the executive branch. The project has four main pillars: a policy plan, a personnel database, an online academy, and a playbook for a president's first 180 days in office. The policy plan focuses on dismantling the 'administrative state' or 'deep state,' which includes removing federal employees and replacing them with conservative choices, eliminating entire cabinet departments, and transforming the FBI into a politically accountable task force.

05:04

🛠️ Pillars of Project 2025: Policy, Personnel, and Power

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of Project 2025's four main pillars. The policy agenda targets the so-called 'deep state' by proposing the removal of tens of thousands of federal employees and their replacement with conservative pre-vetted candidates. It also suggests the elimination of the Department of Homeland Security and the complete dismantling of the Department of Education. The personnel database, developed with technology company Oracle, aims to create a conservative networking platform, recruiting over 11,000 Americans for potential roles in the next administration. The online presidential administration academy is designed to train future bureaucrats in conservative values and governance. Lastly, the playbook for a president's first 180 days in office is modeled after Trump's Schedule F, which would allow the president to convert career civil servants into political appointees, potentially leading to increased presidential control over federal agencies like the Department of Justice. The paragraph also discusses the legal implications of these proposals, including the unitary executive theory and its potential impact on presidential power, as well as the Supreme Court's recent decisions that could expand executive authority.

10:08

🔗 Trump's Connection to Project 2025 and Future Implications

The third paragraph examines the connection between Project 2025 and former President Trump, highlighting that many of his policy positions align with the project's proposals. It mentions Trump's past endorsement of the Heritage Foundation and its role in shaping future policy. The paragraph also discusses the overlap between Trump's policy platform and Project 2025's priorities, such as immigration crackdowns and opposition to 'woke' policies. Despite Trump's recent distancing from the project, the paragraph suggests that this could be a political strategy given the project's controversial nature. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the project's long-term goal of becoming the conservative playbook for the next generation, potentially influencing policy for years to come.

Keywords

💡Project 2025

Project 2025 is a comprehensive plan outlined in a 920-page document that aims to implement a conservative agenda if enacted. It is designed to be a blueprint for a future conservative administration, focusing on restructuring the government and rolling back certain policies. The term is central to the video's theme as it represents the proposed radical changes to the American government, including the purging of civil servants and the dismantling of departments like the Department of Education.

💡Conservative Executive Branch

The term 'Conservative Executive Branch' refers to a government administration that adheres to conservative political philosophies, typically advocating for limited government intervention, traditional values, and free-market principles. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the type of government that Project 2025 aims to establish, which would be the most conservative in modern American history.

💡Purging Civil Servants

Purging civil servants refers to the act of removing government employees, especially those who are not aligned with the political ideology of the ruling administration. In the video, Project 2025 is said to involve the removal of thousands of civil servants to be replaced with conservative pre-vetted picks, indicating a significant shift in the government's workforce to align with a conservative agenda.

💡Department of Education

The Department of Education is a federal department in the United States responsible for establishing policies and programs related to education. The video mentions Project 2025's plan to dismantle this department entirely, which would represent a drastic change in the U.S. educational landscape and is a key aspect of the proposed conservative agenda.

💡Deep State

The 'deep state' is a term used to describe a supposed hidden network of influential individuals within government agencies who are believed to be working against the interests of the publicly elected government. In the video, Project 2025 aims to dismantle the so-called 'administrative state' or 'deep state,' suggesting a purge of federal employees and a restructuring of government agencies to eliminate perceived opposition to conservative policies.

💡Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank and lobbying group that has been influential in shaping Republican policy since the Reagan era. In the video, it is identified as the creator of Project 2025, indicating that the plan is rooted in conservative ideology and has the backing of a significant conservative organization.

💡Unitary Executive Theory

The unitary executive theory is a legal concept that asserts the president has broad executive powers as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. The video discusses how Project 2025's proposals are underpinned by this theory, suggesting that the president should have extensive authority to shape the executive branch without significant checks from Congress, which is a contentious issue in American constitutional law.

💡Schedule F

Schedule F refers to an executive order that would allow the president to convert certain civil service positions into political appointments, giving the president more direct control over the federal workforce. The video mentions that Project 2025 includes a plan modeled off of Schedule F, which would enable a conservative president to shape the government more aggressively according to their policy preferences.

💡Mass Deportation

Mass deportation refers to the large-scale forced removal of individuals from a country, typically those who are residing without legal permission. The video discusses Project 2025's proposal to initiate the largest mass deportation project in U.S. history, which would involve sending millions of undocumented immigrants back to their countries of origin, reflecting a hardline stance on immigration.

💡Cabinet Departments

Cabinet departments are executive departments in the federal government of the United States, each headed by a secretary who is a member of the president's Cabinet. The video mentions Project 2025's plan to dismantle certain cabinet departments, such as the Department of Homeland Security, indicating a significant reorganization of the federal government's structure and function.

💡Online Presidential Administration Academy

The Online Presidential Administration Academy is part of Project 2025's plan to train future bureaucrats in conservative values and governing. This academy would be a platform for educating and preparing individuals to staff a conservative administration, ensuring that the government bureaucracy reflects the values and policies of the project.

Highlights

Project 2025 aims to establish the most conservative executive branch in modern American history.

The plan includes purging the government of thousands of civil servants and dismantling the Department of Education.

Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025 despite its alignment with his policies.

Project 2025 is driven by culture war politics and aims to be a government in waiting for a conservative president.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, is the brainchild behind Project 2025.

The project is backed by over 100 conservative organizations and has a $22 million budget.

Project 2025's first pillar is a policy agenda focused on dismantling the administrative state.

The plan proposes purging the civil workforce and replacing federal employees with conservative picks.

Entire cabinet departments like the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education are targeted for elimination.

The FBI is proposed to be transformed into a political task force accountable to the president.

Project 2025 outlines a plan to bring federal agencies under more direct presidential control.

The project includes a personnel database to recruit and vet conservative candidates for government positions.

An online presidential administration academy is proposed to train future bureaucrats in conservative values.

Project 2025 provides policy plans for creating de facto abortion bans and rolling back environmental regulations.

The plan calls for the largest mass deportation project in U.S. history, targeting 12 million illegal aliens.

Schedule F, an executive order to convert career civil servants into political appointees, is a model for the project's personnel policies.

The unitary executive theory, which grants the president broad powers, underpins many of Project 2025's proposals.

Legal experts question the realism of Project 2025's proposals, predicting lawsuits and resistance from Congress.

Despite Trump's public distancing, his policy platform closely resembles Project 2025's proposals.

Transcripts

This 920 page document would usher in the most conservative executive

branch in modern American history.

If enacted,

it's called Project 2025.

Its pages offered new administrations a blueprint for executing a right wing

agenda from purging the government of thousands of civil servants to dismantling the

Department of Education.

We do have to initiate the largest mass deportation project in the history of

this country.

Former President Donald Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025

but Democrats aren't buying it.

Project 2025 would roll back our fundamental freedoms,

undermine our democracy and gut checks and balances.

Here's a closer look at the four main pillars of this radical plan and how they could

transform the American government as we know it.

One of the things that's interesting about project 2025 is the tone you hear the

term woke mentioned dozens of times radical mentioned dozens of

times.

It's remarkably driven by culture war politics.

Project 2025 is designed as a government in waiting if Trump or any

conservative president returns to office.

It's the brainchild of the Heritage foundation,

a conservative think tank and lobbying group that has helped staff Republican administrations

since the Reagan era.

We cover literally every public policy issue in project 2025

from domestic policy to foreign policy.

Kevin Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation and one of the driving forces behind the

project.

All project 2025 is trying to do is to be a corrective to the

liberal nonsense that has been so insidious inside the executive branch.

For the last the heritage foundation says project 2025 is

backed by more than 100 conservative organizations and a $22 million

budget.

So I think the size scale and sophistication of project 2025

is unprecedented.

The project has four main pillars,

a policy plan,

a personnel database,

an online academy and a playbook for the president's 1st 180 days in office.

We can be to hit the ground running on day.

One of the next administration,

the first pillar is a policy agenda that focuses on dismantling the so called administrative

state or what some conservatives call the deep state.

The deep state destroys America or we

destroy the deep state for project 2025 dismantling the

administrative state means purging the civil workforce of tens of thousands of federal employees

and replacing them with conservative pre vetted picks.

There is a concentration not just of power but a concentration of radical

leftist ideology in these employees.

Hopefully we will see over the next 10 to 20 years.

The elimination of entire cabinet departments.

The plan would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security,

eliminate the Department of Education entirely and transform the FBI into a

political task force that is accountable to president.

But the leadership of the FBI has been awful and rotten and not transparent

for a long time.

It is very important that Congress re establish its purview

over the FBI generally its jurisdiction to give a sense of how radical this is.

The FBI is an organization that has never been run by a democrat.

And so this is an organization that in its bones,

is a fairly conservative organization and where now you have

right wing voices saying that it should be eliminated.

The playbook also outlines a plan to bring many federal agencies like the Department of

Justice under more direct presidential control.

What project 2025 articulates is the idea that the president

should be the one directing the activities of the Department of Justice.

Even if that means that the president will not be investigated or that the

doj will be sent to attack the president's political enemies.

We will root out the communists,

Marxists,

fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the

confines of our country.

The Heritage Foundation says it wants to ensure that what remains of this whittled down.

Federal bureaucracy is conservative,

not just for the next president but for a long time to come.

Pillar two personnel database.

The Heritage Foundation has already contracted the technology company oracle to build this

database kind of like a conservative networking platform.

We've recruited Americans all over the country.

And so we've had well over 11,000 people who've applied to be

considered by the next president and his administration.

Trump really emphasizes loyalty and you see those practices

now being adopted by project 2025 where you fill out a form that

essentially indicates if you are loyal to President Trump or not,

once they're fully vetted,

they can move on to Pillar three,

an online presidential administration academy that would train future bureaucrats in

conservative values and governing.

So we want these people who are competent,

who have great credentials to be prepared for the specific job that they will have.

Project 2025 provides detailed policy plans for dozens of government

agencies outlining ways to create de facto abortion bans slash federal

investment in renewable energy and roll back environmental regulations.

Here,

you can see several sections dedicated to consolidating us immigration agencies and

expanding their power.

Number one,

we have to close the border.

We do have to initiate the largest mass deportation project in the

history of this country.

The 12 million people who've come in as illegal aliens must be sent back to their native

countries.

But how legally sound are these policy proposals?

And what would they look like in practice?

That's where Pillar Four comes in the playbook.

For the 1st 180 days of a conservative presidency.

A big part of the plan is modeled off of a Trump era policy called Schedule F.

Schedule F is originally an executive order that Trump signed that would allow

him to turn thousands of career civil servants into

political appointees that he could then fire if they displeased him in any way

and then have to be more responsive to a president who in the

past has shown a willingness to fire people for disloyalty rather than for

competence.

The Biden administration reversed this order in 2021 but Trump has vowed to

bring it back if he is re elected first.

I will immediately reissue my 2020 executive order,

restoring the president's authority to remove rogue bureaucrats and I will wield

that power very aggressively.

I think Schedule F is not just possible,

but it's certainly an incredible priority of a second Trump

administration.

The problem with Schedule F is that there is no real limitation to the number of

people who could be converted underpinning many of project 2020 five's policy

proposals is a legal principle called the unitary executive theory.

It is based on a clause in the constitution that says the executive power is vested in the

president project 2025 assumption is that the president has

something called unitary executive authority.

This gives him enormous untested powers to essentially do whatever he

wants.

And reduces the power of Congress to check those powers.

Conservative Supreme Court justices like Justice Samuel Alito have signaled

support for the unitary theory and skepticism of federal agencies.

The current Supreme Court has shown itself to be very open to claims that

the president has enormous executive authority and so should be able to

hire and fire people at will.

In July,

the Supreme Court granted presidents immunity for any official acts taken while in office.

Legal experts say this decision could set the stage for expanding presidential

power.

Trump would be looking at a Supreme Court that would be quite sympathetic

to his claims that he has extraordinary executive powers far

more than previous presidents and would allow him to do things that previous Supreme

Courts would have checked with other presidents.

Other legal scholars say the unitary executive theory and some of project 2020 five's

more radical proposals simply aren't realistic.

It will inevitably draw dozens of lawsuits if all of its

policies are implemented.

So you cannot eliminate an agency without Congress agreeing to

that.

Congress has the power to create agencies and to eliminate agencies unless

the Supreme Court suddenly grants new power to the president.

Project.

2025 has garnered increased attention on social media project 2025

project 2025 five.

As Democrats shine a spotlight on its sweeping proposals.

Project 2025 will destroy America.

Look it up.

This agenda is a fascist authoritarian

dictator's dream and we know that that is exactly who Donald Trump

wants to be Democratic Congressman.

Dan Goldman is part of the stop project 2025 task force.

So what we are trying to do is make sure that every American who is

going to go to the ballot box on November 5th knows exactly what they will

get if Donald Trump wins more recently,

Trump made moves to distance himself from project 2025 in a truth

social post.

He said he knew nothing about it,

calling some of the proposals ridiculous.

And abysmal Goldman says these statements are part of a larger political strategy.

So many of his former top officials are at the head of project

2025.

It is a political calculation that he's making because he recognizes that

the American people do not support this extremist agenda.

President Trump is trying to win a presidential campaign and we understand that he

has to make political considerations given the millions of dollars that

the left has spent attacking project 2025 because they have nothing else to run

on.

I wasn't surprised to see President Trump's statement nor are there any hard feelings back in

2022 Trump spoke to the Heritage Foundation and was direct about its role in

crafting future policy.

This is a great group and they're going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly

what our movement will do and what your movement will do when the American people

give us a colossal mandate to save America and that's coming,

that's coming.

Trump's own policy platform closely resembles many of project 2020 five's

proposals too from cracking down on immigration to blocking gender,

affirming health care and stopping a woke and weaponized government.

Given the persuasiveness of these ideas,

the overlap that exists between Trump's stated priorities and the priorities of the

project that will all sort itself out.

It really is the conservative playbook,

not just for the next year or two,

but hopefully for the next generation.