As Donald Trump settles into his second term as the 47th U.S. president, a controversial 900-page policy document known as Project 2025, crafted by the Heritage Foundation, is shaping his administration’s agenda despite his campaign’s efforts to distance itself from the plan.
This sweeping conservative blueprint has drawn both intrigue and alarm as it aims to overhaul the federal government and advance an ultra-conservative social vision. With several of its authors now holding key government roles and many of Trump’s early executive orders mirroring its proposals, Project 2025 is proving to be a pivotal force in the new administration.
However, its radical ideas, ranging from expanding presidential power to restricting abortion access, face fierce opposition from Democrats and legal challenges, raising questions about how far Trump can push this transformative agenda.
Origins and Ambitions of Project 2025
Project 2025, launched by the Heritage Foundation in April 2023, is a comprehensive roadmap for the next Republican president, building on the think tank’s legacy of influencing GOP administrations since Ronald Reagan’s era.
The initiative, backed by a $22 million budget, unites over 100 conservative organizations to promote four core aims: restoring the traditional family, dismantling the administrative state, defending national sovereignty, and securing individual rights.
Unlike previous Heritage policy guides, Project 2025’s scope is ambitious, advocating for a dramatic expansion of executive power through the unitary executive theory, which places the entire federal bureaucracy under direct presidential control.
Despite Trump’s July 2024 Truth Social post claiming ignorance of the plan and calling some proposals “ridiculous and abysmal,” a February 2025 CNN analysis found that 36 of Trump’s first 53 executive orders aligned with Project 2025’s recommendations, highlighting its influence.
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Key Policy Proposals and Early Actions
Project 2025’s 900-page “Mandate for Leadership” outlines sweeping reforms across government agencies, many of which resonate with Trump’s campaign promises. On January 20, 2025, Trump issued an executive order reinstating Schedule F, a policy from his first term that strips job protections from thousands of federal employees, enabling their replacement with loyalists, a move directly advocated by Project 2025.
The document also proposes eliminating the Department of Education, a goal Trump has endorsed, and slashing funding for renewable energy to prioritize fossil fuel production, aligning with his “drill, baby, drill” slogan.
In immigration, Trump’s focus on mass deportations goes beyond the scope of Project 2025, which calls for increased border wall funding and restructuring the Department of Homeland Security.
Additionally, the plan’s call to cap indirect research funding at the National Institutes of Health at 15% was implemented in February 2025, sparking debate among academic institutions.
Social and Cultural Flashpoints
The document’s social policies, particularly on abortion and gender, have ignited fierce controversy. Project 2025 proposes withdrawing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market and enforcing the Comstock Act to block its mailing, alongside promoting a “biblically based” definition of family.
Trump’s January 2025 executive order halting federal funding for abortion-related activities mirrors these suggestions, though he maintains that abortion laws should primarily be state-driven.
The plan also targets diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and gender identity policies, advocating for recognizing only two genders. Trump’s early executive actions banning DEI programs and defining sex as biological reflect these priorities.
However, proposals like banning pornography and regulating tech companies have not yet been pursued, possibly due to Trump’s support from tech industry leaders.
Did You Know?
Project 2025’s personnel database, dubbed a “Conservative LinkedIn,” has vetted over 10,000 potential appointees to ensure loyalty to Trump’s agenda, a strategy to avoid the staffing chaos of his first term.
Geopolitical and Economic Implications
Project 2025’s economic and energy policies align closely with Trump’s agenda, particularly in promoting fossil fuels and exiting the Paris Climate Agreement, which Trump re-withdrew from in January 2025.
The document’s dual stance on tariffs, supporting both free trade and protectionism, has been overshadowed by Trump’s aggressive tariff announcements targeting Canada, Mexico, and China, announced in March 2025, which could raise consumer prices.
The plan's call for stricter enforcement and visa restrictions on immigration aligns with Trump's rhetoric, although the document does not provide detailed backing for his mass deportation pledge.
Recent posts on social media platforms highlight public concern over tariffs’ economic impact, with some estimating a 20% price hike on imported goods, underscoring the stakes of these policies.
Challenges and Opposition
Despite its influence, Project 2025 faces significant hurdles. Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have vowed to continue their “Stop Project 2025 Task Force” efforts, citing threats to civil liberties and democratic norms.
Legal challenges have already emerged, with a federal judge in April 2025 blocking an executive order restricting gender transition care, a policy echoing Project 2025’s language. Critics, including the ACLU, warn that the plan’s vision, described as Christian nationalist and authoritarian, could undermine the rule of law.
The appointment of Project 2025 contributors like Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget and John Ratcliffe as CIA director has intensified scrutiny, with Vought’s confirmation in March 2025 drawing criticism for his advocacy of expansive presidential power.
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