MILWAUKEE, July 17, 2024 – As Donald Trump prepares to accept the Republican nomination on Thursday, his anticipated speech comes in the wake of last Saturday’s attack. All eyes will be on whether he clarifies his governmental program, which remains vague, and how much it aligns with “Project 2025” crafted by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation. Though Trump has recently distanced himself from the project, its radical measures raise concerns. We discussed these issues with Romuald Sciora, Director of the U.S. Political and Geostrategic Observatory at IRIS.
What is “Project 2025”?
Sciora explains that to understand Project 2025, one must first recognize its origins and objectives. Developed by the Heritage Foundation, this 900-page document outlines a comprehensive and radical governmental overhaul. It proposes replacing 40,000 federal employees with Trump loyalists, creating new agencies to overshadow existing ones, and significantly altering the structure of the federal government.
Key elements of Project 2025 include:
- Administrative Purge: Replacing 40,000 federal employees, far exceeding the usual 4,000, to create a loyalist bureaucracy.
- Judicial Control: Bringing the Department of Justice under direct presidential control, undermining its traditional independence.
- National Guard Reform: Shifting control of the National Guard from state governors to the federal government, allowing presidential deployment during unrest or protests.
- Education and Social Policies: Eliminating public schools accused of “wokism” and purging curricula of diversity and gender equality mentions. Restricting access to abortion by limiting the availability of abortion pills.
- Government Accountability: Increasing oversight of federal agencies like the FBI and DOJ, promoting conservative values and reducing perceived liberal bias.
The plan envisions a substantial shift in power dynamics, aiming to reshape the U.S. into a more centralized, conservative state under Trump’s leadership.
Post-2020 Radicalization
After losing the 2020 election, Trump has become even more radicalized. Project 2025, developed by the Heritage Foundation, embodies this shift. The think tank, known for its neoconservative stance since supporting Ronald Reagan, has produced a comprehensive 900-page plan aligned with Trump’s vision. This document outlines a government overhaul that includes replacing not 4,000 but 40,000 federal employees, effectively creating a “Trump State.”
This proposed purge would involve creating new agencies to overshadow the current administration, leading to early retirements and a significant shift in governmental control. Sciora likens this to political maneuvers seen in non-democratic regimes like Russia and China.
The Heritage Foundation has already begun recruiting for this potential new administration. Since last summer, it has conducted hundreds of interviews weekly, aiming to place Trump loyalists in key positions by January 20, 2025, if Trump is re-elected. These changes are legal and require only Congressional approval, which seems likely given the Republican majority in the House and the potential shift in the Senate.
Project 2025 also proposes bringing the Department of Justice under presidential control and changing the deployment of the National Guard from state governors to direct federal oversight. These measures have raised significant concerns about increasing presidential power and undermining democratic checks and balances.
Sciora suggests that a re-elected Trump could transform the U.S. into a semi-authoritarian regime, akin to those in Turkey under Erdoğan or Hungary under Orbán. Despite Trump’s recent distancing from Project 2025, his actions suggest alignment with its core ideas.
As Trump addresses the Republican convention, the extent of his commitment to Project 2025 remains to be seen. The plan’s radical nature has stirred debate about the future of American democracy under another Trump administration. The unfolding political landscape will determine whether these proposed changes will take roo
Written by Imane Moumen
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