Former President Trump announced a meeting with Russ Vought, known for Project 2025, to discuss potential cuts to Democrat-led agencies. Trump framed this as an unexpected opportunity to “Make America Great Again.” Reports suggest mass layoffs of federal employees could begin imminently following a government shutdown, as indicated by Vought in a private call with GOP members.
Trump embraces Project 2025 after denying it during 2024 campaign. Okay, so here we are. The inevitable has happened. Trump, the man famous for his “truthful” pronouncements, has done exactly what many predicted – embraced Project 2025 after spending the 2024 campaign season denying any knowledge or affiliation with it. It’s a classic case of “told you so,” a phrase that resonates with a sense of weary familiarity in this political climate. Frankly, it’s a bit disappointing that it even needs to be said, but here we are.
Trump embraces Project 2025 after denying it during 2024 campaign, and the sheer audacity of it all is, well, rather typical of his playbook.… Continue reading
President Trump announced he would meet with OMB Director Russ Vought to discuss potential cuts to federal agencies, aiming to leverage the government shutdown. Trump’s post on Truth Social indicated the meeting would determine which “Democrat Agencies” should be cut, and whether those cuts would be temporary or permanent. This comes as the government entered its first shutdown since 2019 due to a funding dispute over the Affordable Care Act subsidies. Vought, a key figure behind the conservative “Project 2025” plan, which outlines overhauls to the federal government, will be instrumental in advising Trump on these decisions.
The Trump administration has been criticized for concealing or eliminating public data and statistics, including research on right-wing extremism and unfavorable jobs reports. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has released a report detailing how these actions, coupled with funding cuts, are hindering experts and the public from understanding the impacts of the administration’s policies. The report highlights the removal of data, such as the Household Food Security reports, and the reduced capacity of the US Census Bureau due to staffing changes and budget cuts. The CBPP warns that these actions, including the weakening of the decennial census, will significantly impede efforts to track the consequences of the administration’s policies and will limit fact-checking capabilities.
Despite initially disavowing Project 2025, Trump has appointed several key contributors to his administration, including Russell Vought, Peter Navarro, and Brendan Carr. Vought, who advocated for overhauling the executive branch and reducing federal agency funding, has directed the Office of Management and Budget and co-authored a memo bracing agencies for mass layoffs. Navarro, who proposed raising tariffs and holding China accountable, now serves as senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. Carr, who sought reforms at the FCC, including addressing TikTok and reining in big tech, has taken the helm as chairman of the agency.
Project 2025, spearheaded by the Trump administration and its congressional allies, is actively being developed. Simultaneously, conservatives are reportedly preparing for a re-implementation of their strategies, according to Angelo Carusone, chair and president of Media Matters for America. This dual effort highlights a concerted push to advance conservative policies. The implication of this initiative will become more clear in due time.
The article discusses the potential for the Trump administration to implement a crackdown on dissent, using the death of Charlie Kirk as a catalyst. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, and the subsequent executive order designating “antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, provides a framework for increased surveillance and suppression of leftist groups. This action, informed by loose FBI guidelines and a preventative approach to counterterrorism, mirrors existing FBI powers and could lead to the misuse of federal law enforcement resources against groups and individuals across the left. This move represents an escalation of tactics that has been developing for over 100 years, and could be uniquely concerning and authoritarian.
During his campaign, Donald Trump denied any involvement with Project 2025, a far-right policy blueprint, even labeling its ideas as ridiculous. However, after winning the election, Trump swiftly implemented numerous proposals outlined in Project 2025, including policy changes regarding deportation, civil servants, and federal agencies. Furthermore, Trump appointed key figures associated with Project 2025 to influential government positions. A response from the FCC’s chairman to a social media post has revealed that Trump’s administration views these actions as a joke. This betrayal not only undermines journalistic efforts to expose the truth but also disregards the trust of Trump’s voters.
The FBI is reportedly considering categorizing transgender people as “violent extremists,” a move allegedly spurred by organizations linked to Project 2025 and driven by the recent death of right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk. According to reports, the Bureau may treat trans individuals as part of its “Nihilistic Violent Extremists” category, defined as those seeking societal collapse through chaos. This potential classification, fueled by false claims linking a transgender individual to Kirk’s death, is supported by conservative groups seeking to designate “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism” as a domestic terrorism threat, potentially impacting activists and allies. Despite right-wing efforts to portray trans people as violent, there is no evidence to support significant patterns of violence committed by the transgender community.
A key figure behind Project 2025, a comprehensive conservative policy blueprint, is scheduled to address Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet in closed-door meetings. The Heritage Foundation’s Kevin Roberts, whose organization spearheaded the project, will discuss the evolving U.S. economic and security relationship, offering insights into the Trump administration’s potential priorities. Project 2025 proposes significant changes, including dismantling the administrative state, and restoring the family as the centerpiece of American life, and has been the subject of considerable controversy. The Canadian government aims to gain valuable perspective in preparation for the upcoming Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review next year.
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood