The leader of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, Paul Dans, has stepped down amidst a wave of criticism from former President Donald Trump and persistent attacks from Democratic figures. The initiative, also known as the Presidential Transition Project, was launched in April 2022 by the conservative think tank as a comprehensive plan to reshape the U.S. government under a future Republican administration.
Trump, distancing himself from the project, described it as "absolutely ridiculous and abysmal." The former president's campaign had long asserted that Project 2025 had no affiliation with Trump or his campaign. Trump's criticism intensified as the Biden campaign highlighted the project, aiming to steer voters away from supporting a second Trump term.
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, confirmed Dans' departure in a statement. "Under Paul Dans' leadership, Project 2025 has completed exactly what it set out to do: bringing together over 110 leading conservative organizations to create a unified conservative vision, motivated to devolve power from the unelected administrative state, and returning it to the people," Roberts said. He further noted, "Paul, who built the project from scratch and bravely led this endeavor over the past two years, will be departing the team and moving up to the front where the fight remains."
The Trump campaign welcomed the news, with advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita reiterating their stance: "Reports of Project 2025's demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign - it will not end well for you."
Project 2025, despite its ambitious goals, became a significant point of contention. Democrats seized upon the nearly 1,000-page blueprint as evidence of an extreme agenda that a potential Trump administration might pursue. The document proposed sweeping changes to the federal government, including altering personnel rules to ensure government workers' loyalty to the president.
Trump repeatedly disavowed the document, stating on social media and at rallies that he had not read it and did not know anything about it. At a rally in Michigan, he described Project 2025 as being written by individuals on the "severe right" with "seriously extreme" proposals.
Despite Dans' resignation, the Heritage Foundation emphasized that Project 2025 will continue its mission. The project has cultivated a database of resumes for potential hires, preparing for a possible future administration that aligns with its conservative vision. Many Trump allies and former aides have contributed to the project, underscoring its deep ties to Trump's political orbit.
The Heritage Foundation's website for Project 2025 will remain active, and the group will continue to vet resumes from its nearly 20,000-person database. Kevin Roberts will now oversee the project's operations.
Roberts, who has faced his own share of controversy, has been vocal about the project's importance. In a recent episode of former Trump aide Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast, Roberts described the current political climate as a "second American Revolution," asserting that it would be bloodless "if the left allows it to be."
Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign and other top Democrats have used Project 2025 to argue against another Trump administration. Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris's campaign manager, remarked, "Hiding the 920-page blueprint from the American people doesn't make it less real - in fact, it should make voters more concerned about what else Trump and his allies are hiding."
The Heritage Foundation continues to assert that Project 2025 is not going away. In addition to running Project 2025, Roberts has written a book, "Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America," set for release on September 24. The book outlines strategies for conservatives to rebuild or dismantle various government agencies and outside groups to preserve the American way of life.
