By: Emanuelle Welter 
November 14th, 2024

(This material is taken from “Project 2025, Explained” by ACLU, along with Project 2025 l Presidential Transition Project by Project2025) 

Image by National Federation of Federal Employees

With the recent election of former President Donald Trump, some questions about Project 2025 come to mind. (Donald Trump has not officially endorsed Project 2025). What are the policies? How does it affect people? When and how will it take place? 

It is important to mention that Project 2025 has its website (www.project2025.org), however, its heavy use of propaganda can blur the negative light and only bring out the “good”. Project 2025 was brought forth by The Heritage Foundation (Conservative, as they mention on their website) and 140 former Trump staffers (According to ACLU). It is an attempt to replace the rule of law with right-wing ideals. Their largest publication is: “Mandate For Leadership”, a 900-page manual explaining how to reorganize the federal government to serve a conservative agenda. 

(ACLU) Policies of the Project 2025: 

Cutting abortion access: This will prevent abortion medication, equipment, and material from being sent through the U.S. Postal Service. 

Mass deportation: Targets immigrant communities, ends birthright citizenship (commonly known as Law of Soil), and separates families. 

Warrantless surveillance: Abuses the executive branch’s power to spy on Americans’ lives with surveillance of our data. 

Use force on protestors: (Violates the First Amendment) Uses federal law enforcement to target protestors and journalists. 

Censoring: (Violates the First Amendment) Conseores schools from talking about systematic inequalities, gender, and race, and promises to defund schools that don’t follow these policies. 

Trans Rights: Weaponizes federal law by threatening to sue schools that protect the rights of trans students or threatening the loss of Medicaid funding for hospitals if they provide gender-affirming medical care to adolescents. It will also (as said by Project2025) revoke the right of trans individuals to participate in sports (Ex.: transgender women would not be allowed to participate in women's sports). 

Policies by Project2025: 

“Cut the growth of government spending to reduce inflation” (According to Project2025): 

This means eliminating debt forgiveness. It would deny relief to more than 3.6 million public service workers. (According to neaToday)

“Improve education by moving control and funding of education from DC bureaucrats directly to parents and state and local governments” (According to Project2025): 

This translates to dismantling the Department of Education, which will, in turn, fail to document inequities in schools and push the anti-public agenda that is being implemented at state levels in several parts of the country. These efforts limit what is taught in schools and censor subjects like race theory, gender, and systematic inequalities. (According to neaToday)

“Make federal bureaucrats more accountable to the democratically elected President and Congress” (According to Project2025):

This could create an Imperial Presidency. That gives almost unlimited power to the President and can resemble an autocracy. This policy will shatter Checks and Balances to replace appointees with people loyal to the President. (According to the Center for American Progress) 

neaToday comments on the Project and says: 

“The authors of Project 2025 describe it as “the next conservative President’s last opportunity to save our republic.” In fact, Project 2025 is a sweeping, detailed, and dangerous plan to dramatically expand presidential power, gut our system of checks and balances, and pave the way for an extremist right-wing policy agenda.”

How to fight against Project 2025: 

ACLU provides sources to protest against the project. 

https://action.aclu.org/send-message/protect-trans-care-now

https://action.aclu.org/petition/defend-every-students-right-learn

https://www.aclu.org/action

https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-mass-deportations