Project 2025: The Blueprint for a Radical Conservative Future

By Jordan Huber

Bio: Jordan is a senior political science major and the president of the Politics Club. With a keen interest in current affairs and a passion for informed debate, Jordan brings a well-rounded perspective to their opinion column. Through their studies and leadership, Jordan is dedicated to exploring the complexities of political issues and fostering meaningful discussion.

Disclaimer: Jordan Huber is an election worker. The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Humboldt County Office of Elections.

As we rapidly approach the November presidential election, Project 2025 has cast its shadow on American politics. The contents of it are not hidden, but the documents are so lengthy and dense that it is inaccessible to many. I dove into this topic to try and understand why Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Project 2025 and Democrats are relentlessly attacking its policies. 

But what is Project 2025, what organization is behind it – and most importantly – why did a Washington D.C. think tank feel compelled to write it? Project 2025 is a multifaceted blueprint designed by alleged conservative policy experts on how to best reshape the American political landscape. Project 2025 consists of Four Pillars: 

1. Restructuring Federal Agencies: A 900-plus-page document that will either get rid of or privatize each department of our government. Pressing issues in the document that stand out to me are: the wipeout of the Department of Education, the end of national abortion access is labeled as only the beginning to further restrictions, the federal government will no longer be able to combat misinformation, and the incalculable environmental harm due to drilling increases impacting indigenous communities. An upheaval of this kind has not been seen in modern-American history, and harm will be felt by every non-wealthy American.

2. Appointment Profiling: A system for creating profiles for individuals interested in federal positions, enabling Project 2025’s leadership to better identify suitable candidates for various government roles. Many people currently occupying civil service positions will have their jobs changed to politically appointed positions so that a president could appoint people loyal to their values. Think of this as a Republican Indeed, where The Heritage Foundation can vet people that are willing to carry out the agenda the Foundation sets for the Trump administration.

3. Training Program: A training program designed to cultivate a new generation of conservative government officials. Essentially a Political Science 101 course, it aims to educate participants on how the government operates and how they should manage the remaining functions of the federal government after the government is gutted through laws outlined in Pillar One. 

4. Executive Orders Playbook: A playbook will be made outlining what changes that need to be made in each agency from day one of the Trump administration. This includes executive orders and regulations to implement within the first 180 days. Not much is known about what some of these orders will be exactly, but certainly the policies outlined in pillar one will be present. We were lucky in some ways that Trump’s first term was riddled with missteps and a lack of a plan, so many of his campaign promises did not come true. This final pillar ensures that he will not make the same mistakes again.

The Heritage Foundation, a powerful force in shaping Republican platforms since the 1970s, is behind Project 2025. President Reagan read out policies from the Foundation in his second inaugural address, and forms from the Foundation were distributed throughout his White House. They have since been linked to every Republican President, and are applauded by conservatives as champions of traditional family values. This link between think tanks and the head of our country should scare everyone, and Trump’s administration will be more linked to The Heritage Foundation than ever before.

What are the connections between The Heritage Foundation and Trump? J.D. Vance, potential Vice President under a second Trump administration, and Trump himself, are deeply tied with the organization. Vance wrote a foreword for an upcoming book written by Kevin Roberts, President of The Heritage Foundation. The Trump campaign has tried to distance themselves from Project 2025 and the former president has stated that he is not aware of who is behind it. Yet, Trump was also photographed with Roberts on a plane headed to a Heritage Foundation meeting – along with over 100 former members of his first administration being hired by the foundation. While overlap between similar foundations and political offices is common, to claim that he has no idea who is behind is simply not true. 

While Trump can choose to ignore all of Project 2025’s seminars, playbooks and policy decisions, The Heritage Foundation boasts that over half of their policies enacted in both the Reagan and Trump administrations. The policies I outlined are just the tip of the iceberg. I encourage everyone to look at the document, and see for yourself how the United States will be irrevocably harmed if Trump and The Heritage Foundation are able to carry out Project 2025.