○Donald Trump repeatedly denied Project 2025 on the campaign trail, saying it had “nothing to do” with the conservative president’s blueprint and didn’t know the people behind it. But as he begins to assemble Cabinet members and White House staff, he will quickly become acquainted with the people involved.
Given that the project was written by various members of the first administration, and that its policy goals align with Trump’s own proposed second-term agenda, Trump is likely to try to disavow the project before winning re-election. Trump’s attempt to do so seemed unlikely.
His transition team claimed that it would not hire anyone associated with Project 2025 because it is “radioactive.”
However, in selecting people for key roles, he has already appointed people with direct ties to right-wing manifestos.
brendan carr
President Trump’s nominee to chair the Federal Communications Commission wrote the FCC chapter of Project 2025.
In this chapter, Carr argues for “curtailing big tech” by limiting the immunity of tech platforms from content posted by third parties. He specifically cited misbehavior by Google, Meta, and YouTube as examples of platforms that require such restraint.
Tom Homan
Homan, who was chosen as President Trump’s “border czar,” is listed as a contributor to Project 2025, but his name is not included in any specific chapters or policy proposals.
He also worked as a visiting scholar at the Heritage Foundation. He wrote an op-ed promoted by Heritage magazine attacking the Biden administration on immigration and denouncing the bipartisan immigration deal. In one op-ed, he wrote that while he was leading Ice, he was called names by “race-bullying Democrats.”
mike huckabee
Mike Huckabee, who was nominated by President Trump to be ambassador to Israel, announced in October 2024 that Kevin Roberts, Heritage President and architect of Project 2025, will be appointed as Ambassador to Israel in an effort to counter negative publicity about the project. I interviewed him on the program.
caroline leavitt
Incoming White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt appeared in a Project 2025 training video. In addition to the policy manifesto, the project’s four pillars included accumulating a database of potential employees and creating a training program for conservatives seeking a right-wing presidency. .
In a video called “The Art of Professionalism,” obtained by ProPublica and Documented, Levitt shares his advice for people working on his staff. She was the Trump campaign’s national press secretary but insisted the project had nothing to do with Trump.
He also appears in the promotional video for the project.
stephen miller
Stephen Miller will return to the White House, this time as deputy chief of staff for policy. He is the president of the America First Legal Foundation, a nonprofit legal attack dog for right-wing movements.
America First Legal was listed as a supporter of Project 2025 and appeared as a member of the project’s advisory board, but the group later asked to be removed from the project. Miller also appeared in a promotional video for the project, which is still posted on the project’s website.
John Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe, who was offered the role of CIA director by President Trump, is a visiting scholar at the Heritage Foundation and chair of the Project Holding China Responsible for the COVID-19 Infection. He was given the task of “supporting the construction of the the next presidential administration,” according to Heritage’s website.
Ratcliffe is listed as a contributor to Project 2025. He was also interviewed for this project, excerpts of which are included in the chapter on the intelligence community. Ratcliffe is quoted multiple times in this chapter on issues such as making intelligence agencies accountable to the Director of National Intelligence and countering China.
“We had a combined annual budget of $85 billion for both national intelligence and military intelligence programs,” he was quoted in Project 2025. “My view was, ‘No matter how much we spend to counter China, it’s not enough.'”
JD Vance
Vice President Trump has a close relationship with Heritage President Roberts. Vance wrote the foreword for Roberts’ book, which was published after the election.
Roberts is “a person I have a lot of confidence in who has very good advice and great political acumen,” Vance told news outlet Notus in January 2024. In his foreword, Vance praised Roberts’ ideas and boldness, saying the book “advances fundamentally Christian thinking.” Cultural and Economic Perspectives” and a “surprising, even uncomfortable” path forward for conservatives.
