MEZIESBLOG

Project 2025 is something you are going to hear about a lot in the lead up to the November election. 

The Democrats have turned it into one of their most consistent tools against Donald Trump, criticising it at the Democratic National Convention and warning voters about its content on its newly launched policy page. 

Mr Trump has said the policy “wish list” is not related to his campaign and has denied knowing about it.

Here we take a look at what it is and why it is being linked to the former president…

What is Project 2025? 

The 922-page plan has been billed as a list of policies for the next Republican president. 

It proposes a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire as many as 50,000 government workers to replace them with Trump loyalists, according to the Associated Press. 

It also includes things like a “top to bottom overhaul” of the justice department. 

This would involve ending FBI efforts to combat the spread of misinformation, heightened prosecution of those providing or distributing abortion pills by mail, and abolishing the Pentagon’s recent diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Far-reaching changes in government, such as reducing protections for the LGBTQ community, are listed in Project 2025 as well. 

One section also includes pursing a “robust agenda” to protect the “fundamental right to life” and infusing Christianity into society. 

The document suggests that the department of Health and Human Services should “maintain a biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family”.

While it doesn’t call for a nationwide abortion ban, it does propose withdrawing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market. 

Project 2025 has also been preparing its own 180-day agenda for the next administration that it plans to share privately, rather than as part of its public-facing book of priorities for a Republican president.

Democrats have falsely claimed that it also proposes to “gut Social Security”, but the document contains no proposals to do that. 

Who wrote it? 

The plan was created and released by the Heritage Foundation think-tank, which has previously produced plans for future Republican administrations.  

Some of the people involved in Project 2025 are former senior Trump administration officials.

The project’s director Paul Dans served as chief of staff at the US Office of Personnel Management under Mr Trump.

Mr Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt was featured in one of Project 2025’s videos.

John McEntee, a former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office in the Trump administration, was a senior adviser. 

A key Trump ally, Russ Vought, who contributed to Project 2025 is also on the Republican National Committee’s platform writing committee.

What has Trump said about it? 

Mr Trump has tried to distance himself from the plan and deny having any knowledge of it. 

“I know nothing about Project 2025,” he said in a Truth Social post.”I have no idea who is behind it.”

“I have not seen it, have no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it,” he said in another. 

Our US partner site NBC News has previously reported that the Trump campaign has denied the authors of Project 2024 are shaping his plans for a potential administration.