🔎 Is Trump involved with Project 2025 or not? What you need to know
🔎 Is Trump involved with Project 2025 or not? What you need to know
Also: politics-free weddings, raw-dogging dangers, and the 15-year-old scientist fighting skin-cancer with soap
In recent weeks, political circles have been buzzing with talks of a controversial plan known as Project 2025—a blueprint for reshaping the U.S. government if a Republican wins the presidency in 2024. Crafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation and spearheaded by key figures from the Trump administration, this nearly 1,000-page document lays out an ultra-conservative agenda that has sparked fears across the political spectrum. But what exactly is Project 2025, who’s behind it, is Trump involved, and why are people so worried about its potential implementation?
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 isn’t just another policy paper—it’s a full-scale roadmap designed to overhaul the federal government. The plan is built on four pillars: a comprehensive 900-page handbook titled "Mandate for Leadership 2025," which outlines an agenda for the next Republican president; a LinkedIn-style database of vetted candidates who could fill key roles in the next administration; a Presidential Administration Academy that provides training for potential appointees to ensure they align with the project’s vision; and a 180-Day Transition Playbook, a detailed action plan for the first six months in office, designed to avoid the chaotic start that marked Trump’s first term.
Project 2025 aims to remake the federal government in the image of its conservative authors, touching every aspect of governance—from immigration and education to social issues and the structure of federal agencies.
Who’s behind it
The project is led by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank with deep ties to the Republican Party. The initiative also boasts an advisory board of over 100 conservative organizations, making it a coalition effort of right-wing activism.
Is Trump involved?
While Project 2025 is billed as a blueprint for any Republican president, there are growing concerns that it’s tailored specifically for Donald Trump, should he win a second term.
Trump claimed on social media that he has no idea who’s behind it, but despite Trump’s public attempts to distance himself from the project—calling some of its proposals "abysmal"—evidence suggests a much closer connection.
A CNN review in July found at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration had a hand in Project 2025. These include heavyweights like former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and longtime adviser Stephen Miller, both of whom were instrumental in shaping Trump’s first term.
And this week, hidden-camera video was released showing Russell Vought, a key architect of the plan and former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, boasting about his group’s role in drafting executive orders and policy memos for a second Trump term. Vought’s claim that Trump has "blessed" his organization and been "very supportive of what we do" raises further questions about the former president’s involvement.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has also tried to distance himself from the project. However, Vance recently wrote the foreword for a book by Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation and a key figure behind Project 2025. In his introduction, Vance praises the book as an "essential weapon" for the conservative movement, using language that closely mirrors the rhetoric found in Project 2025.
What’s at stake?
If implemented, Project 2025 could fundamentally alter the landscape of American governance. The plan calls for the dismantling of longstanding federal agencies, including the Department of Education, and proposes radical shifts in policy areas like immigration, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ protections. Many young voters concerned about social justice, environmental protection, and the preservation of democratic norms fear could reshape the very fabric of American society.
One of the most alarming aspects of the plan is its explicit endorsement of Christian nationalism. The document calls for a return to “Judeo-Christian worldview values” in government, a move that critics argue would erode the separation of church and state. Vought’s own words on the secret recording underscore this agenda: “We’ve been too focused on religious liberty, which we all support, but we’ve lacked the ability to argue we are a Christian nation, Vought said, indicating that his vision for America is one where religion and governance are deeply intertwined. I want to make sure that we can say we are a Christian nation.”
Moreover, Project 2025’s playbook includes a strategy for creating “shadow” agencies to implement its policies swiftly, bypassing the checks and balances that typically slow down such drastic changes. This approach has sparked fears that a second Trump administration could wield unprecedented power, with little oversight or accountability.
Project 2025 is more than just a policy proposal—it’s a blueprint for a significant transformation of the U.S. government that aligns closely with the hard-right agenda of Trump loyalists. Despite Trump and Vance’s public attempts to distance themselves from the plan, the involvement of so many former Trump officials suggests that this blueprint could very well be the playbook for a second Trump term.
Dig deeper:
↪ Project 2025: What Is It and How Would It Impact Gen Z and Millennials? (Teen Vogue)
🗳️ 2024 Election
➤ Polls of young voters show surge of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris
The Harris-Walz ticket is driving huge motivation among young voters. (Teen Vogue)
For all things related to the youth vote including comprehensive DNC coverage, check out The Up and Up newsletter from Rachel Janfaza
↪ Related: Inside the Gen-Z operation powering Harris’ online remix ( CNN)
➤ Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. JD Vance agree to VP debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1
The debate will be moderated by "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and "Face the Nation" moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan. (CBS News)
➤ Secret Service prepares use of bulletproof glass for outdoor Trump rallies: Sources
The safety measure comes after a gunman tried to assassinate Trump last month. (ABC News)
➤ Trump vs. Harris magnifies America’s generational and cultural divides
Donald Trump walks onstage to the 1984 Lee Greenwood song “God Bless the USA,” cheered on by a roaring crowd that skews older and White. Kamala Harris walks out to Beyoncé’s 2016 hit “Freedom” and leans into internet memes — addressing more racially diverse audiences dotted with chartreuse shirts and pins that pay homage to a 2024 pop album called “Brat.” (Washington Post)
🗳️ More Politics
➤ Social media influencers descend on the White House, where Biden calls them the new ‘source of news’
Biden stopped by to tell the influencers gathered in the Indian Treaty Room in the White House complex: “The fact is, you are the future.” (AP)
➤ Making their wedding a politics-free zone
From “No Politics” signs to carefully curated seating charts, some couples are taking a firm stance to prevent their nuptials from becoming an occasion for heated debates. (NYT)
➤ Palestinians promise largest protests ever as DNC descends on Chicago
With the Democratic National Convention descending on Chicago next week, Palestinians will bring their message of Palestinian liberation to a national stage, hoping to move Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, and other key Democrats to back a ceasefire..Cook County, where Chicago is located, is home the largest Palestinian population in the country. (NBC News)
🌎 Around the world
➤ Gaza ceasefire talks get underway in Doha
A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks was underway in the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday afternoon, officials said, with Israel's spy chief joining his U.S. and Egyptian counterparts and Qatar's prime minister for the closed-door meeting. (Reuters)
Related: More than 40,000 killed in Israel’s war in Gaza, Health Ministry says (Washington Post)
➤Ukraine says it has taken more ground and prisoners during its advance into Russia border region
For more than a week, Ukrainian troops have pushed into the Kursk region of Russia, just north of their border, in the most extensive incursion by Kyiv’s forces in the 2½-year-old war. (AP)
Related: Ukraine’s incursion into Russia reveals a a dramatic shift (NY Times)
🏅 Olympics
➤ The fight over Jordan Chiles’s bronze medal is barely about gymnastics
The Olympian was asked to give her medal back — and the racist attacks began. (Vox)
↪ Related: Court for Arbitration of Sport refuses to reopen Jordan Chiles appeal despite video evidence (Us Weekly)
➤ J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in cyberbullying lawsuit filed by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif after Olympic win
J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk have both been named in a criminal complaint filed to French authorities over alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” against Algerian boxer and newly crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif. (Variety)
➤ NBC sent 27 creators to Paris. It only needed Snoop and Olympic athletes.
In an attempt to lure in younger viewers, NBCUniversal sent dozens of social media influencers to the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the athletes and entertainers were the ones who went viral. (Wired)
💰 Money
➤ Consulting has a Gen Z problem
High-pressure work and a lack of passion drive young consultants to seek more fulfilling jobs. (Business Insider)
➤ Meet the 20-Somethings Taking Mini-Retirements
Could taking regular breaks, or switching up your career for a year or two, make you a better job candidate? (The Cut)
➤ Starbucks CEO Allowed to Work 1,000 Miles From Headquarters
Newly appointed Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol won’t be required to relocate to the company’s headquarters in Seattle when he joins the company next month. (Bloomberg)
➤ Who wants a 'man in finance'?
The song of the summer captures the bleak truth about today’s dating scene. (The Atlantic)
⚕️Health and wellness
➤ WHO declares mpox global health emergency
The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global public health emergency on Wednesday for the second time since 2022, following a major outbreak in Africa. Here’s what you need to know. (Axios)
➤ A weatherman had a panic attack live on air. What it teaches us.
An ABC News Australia weatherman had a panic attack on air this week – and in doing so spoke up for those with anxiety disorders around the world. (USA Today)
➤ Doctors do not recommend ‘raw-dogging’ your next flight
“A digital detox might do you some good, but all the rest of it is against medical advice,” Dr. Gill Jenkins, a general practitioner, told BBC recently. (The Cut)
⭐ Gen Z in the Spotlight
➤ Fifteen year-old Heman Bekele Is TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year
Bekele invented a soap that could one day treat and even prevent multiple forms of skin cancer. He is already working in a lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, hoping to bring his dream to fruition. (Time)
➤ He skipped college to become a repairman. He’s on his way to $175,000 a year.
Louie Leonardo, 21, climbs inside a boiler and tries not to get knocked over by an industrial power tool. ‘You have to take pride in what we do.’ (Wall Street Journal)
🎓 College Corner
➤ Columbia President Minouche Shafik resigns amid campus turmoil over war in Gaza
University President Minouche Shafik resigned from her post on Wednesday, she wrote in an email to the Columbia community. The announcement comes only weeks before the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year and marks the end of a tumultuous year in the position. (Columbia Daily Spectator)
➤ Court rules pro-Palestine protests at UCLA cannot obstruct Jewish students’ accessibility
A federal district court judge ruled Tuesday that UCLA cannot let pro-Palestine protesters obstruct Jewish students’ access to campus. (Daily Bruin)
🍿Pop Culture
➤ Spain probes Katy Perry video over protected sand dunes
Officials in Spain are investigating Katy Perry, for allegedly filming a music video in ecologically-sensitive sand dunes in the Balearic Islands without permission. (BBC)
➤ A dealer known as ‘Ketamine Queen’ and 2 doctors among 5 charged in death of Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry’s live-in personal assistant, two doctors, an alleged drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” and another man have been charged with providing ketamine that led to the death of the “Friends” star last year, authorities said Thursday. (LA Times)
☀️ Climate
➤ American cities are getting unbearably hot. These ones are roasting the most
No, it’s not your imagination — summers in the US really are getting hotter. And longer. (CNN)
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