Project 2025 – A Threat without Tooth or Claw

Last updated on: July 14, 2024 at 12:29 pm by Dennis Knapp

0 Comments

Project 2025 – A Threat without Tooth or Claw 2024-07-14T12:29:43-06:00 Dennis Knapp

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

** I wrote this before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The fearmongering rhetoric, like that with Project 2025, identifying Trump with Hitler, and an existential threat to democracy, are directly connected to the assassination attempt. Let’s stop the fearful rhetoric.*

Have you heard of the imminent threat posed by the implementation of Project 2025? If you support President Joe Biden and lament his disastrous debate performance, you most certainly have. The president, tanking in the polls, seeks to reset his flailing reelection campaign by appealing to fear – the fear of Project 2025. Whether at a Detroit rally or a “big boy” news conference, Biden (or those in control behind the throne) thinks Project 2025 holds enough fear power to reignite his campaign and quiet the chorus of those calling for him to step down. To Biden, and his supporters, Project 2025 reflects the Christian Nationalist dictatorial “game plan” Donald Trump plans to implement on Day One. Gasp! Be afraid, be very afraid…

In this article, I explain Project 2025’s origins and purpose. I also provide former President Trump’s stance on Project 2025 and his actual platform, which surprisingly reflects moderate Republican positions, especially on abortion and marriage.

In short, Project 2025 represents yet another baseless fear tactic meant to distract Americans from a failing presidency.

What is Project 2025?

For a full exploration of Project 2025, please click here. For the purposes of this article, I highlight the most relevant information regarding this “threat to American Democracy.” Called the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, Project 2025 was organized by the conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation. In short, Project 2025 seeks to provide the next conservative president (not necessarily Trump) with a governing agenda and the personnel to carry it out.

It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration.

In fact, those interested in a position in the next conservative administration may apply through the Presidential Personnel Database. Why the database? A major issue with the previous Trump administration included the lack of adequately conservative personnel to carryout Trump’s agenda.

Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise

What of their policy goals and agendas? In the link above, Project 2025 lays out in detail a roadmap for the next conservative president to follow. Katie Mather with Yahoo! News summarized the most “controversial” directives that alarm those on the Left. For example,

Eliminate the Department of Education.
Shut down the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.
Impose wide restrictions on abortion access, including reversing federal approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.
Allocate funding for “construction of additional border wall systems.”
Ban pornography and imprison anyone who produces or distributes it.
Promote “Sabbath Rest” by encouraging Congress to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require people who work these days to be paid time and a half.
Have the federal government promote “biblically based, social science reinforced” heterosexual marriages.
Call on the new Health and Human Services secretary to “reverse the Biden Administration’s focus on ‘LGBTQ+ equity'” and “subsidizing single-motherhood.”
Remove sexual orientation, gender identity, diversity, equity, inclusion and gender equality from any federal rule, regulation or legislation.
Revive Trump’s plan to open most of the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska to leasing and development.

Moreover, the above indeed reflects clear conservative principles. Many conservatives desire that Donald Trump take up Project 2025 if he again assumes the office of president. Likewise, many of the Left see a direct link between Project 2025 and former President Trump. What does Trump say?

Trump On Project 2025

On July 5th, 2024, former President Trump posted the below regarding his view of Project 2025:

I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.

“I have nothing to do with them.” Seems clear to all with the ability to read that Trump does not support, nor associate with, Project 2025. To reiterate: Trump DOES NOT support or endorse Project 2025. Nothing to see here, people. Nothing.

Trump’s Relatively Moderate Platform

As far as platforms go, the current one issued by the Trump Campaign represents a moderate turn. Abortion and same-sex marriage, a major part of pervious platforms, appear all but gone from this one. Furthermore, the strong stance of illegal immigration, largely a conservative positions, appears to carry the support of most Americans (including 42% of Democrats), according to a recent poll by Axios and reported by MSN. Trump’s full platform includes twenty points:

SEAL THE BORDER, AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION

CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY

END INFLATION, AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN

MAKE AMERICA THE DOMINANT ENERGY PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, BY FAR!

STOP OUTSOURCING, AND TURN THE UNITED STATES INTO A MANUFACTURING SUPERPOWER

LARGE TAX CUTS FOR WORKERS, AND NO TAX ON TIPS!

DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

PREVENT WORLD WAR THREE, RESTORE PEACE IN EUROPE AND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BUILD A GREAT IRON DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD OVER OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY — ALL MADE IN AMERICA

END THE WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

STOP THE MIGRANT CRIME EPIDEMIC, DEMOLISH THE FOREIGN DRUG CARTELS, CRUSH GANG VIOLENCE, AND LOCK UP VIOLENT OFFENDERS

REBUILD OUR CITIES, INCLUDING WASHINGTON DC, MAKING THEM SAFE, CLEAN, AND BEAUTIFUL AGAIN.

STRENGTHEN AND MODERNIZE OUR MILITARY, MAKING IT, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE STRONGEST AND MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD

KEEP THE U.S. DOLLAR AS THE WORLD’S RESERVE CURRENCY

FIGHT FOR AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE WITH NO CUTS, INCLUDING NO CHANGES TO THE RETIREMENT AGE

CANCEL THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE AND CUT COSTLY AND BURDENSOME REGULATIONS

CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ANY SCHOOL PUSHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY, RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY, AND OTHER INAPPROPRIATE RACIAL, SEXUAL, OR POLITICAL CONTENT ON OUR CHILDREN

KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS

DEPORT PRO-HAMAS RADICALS AND MAKE OUR COLLEGE CAMPUSES SAFE AND PATRIOTIC AGAIN

SECURE OUR ELECTIONS, INCLUDING SAME DAY VOTING, VOTER IDENTIFICATION, PAPER BALLOTS, AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP

UNITE OUR COUNTRY BY BRINGING IT TO NEW AND RECORD LEVELS OF SUCCESS

The above still represents a conservative platform, however, some of the key culturally conservative points were removed. The ones kept, for example, critical race theory, gender ideology, and women’s sports, reflect the views of most everyday Americans. Now, while some positions of Project 2025 do align with Trump platform, this alignment is due to the shared conservative agenda of both, not due to an official relationship.

Final Thoughts…

To conclude, above I show that, while similarities exist between Project 2025 and former President Trump, he, by his own admission, has nothing to do with it. The former president even went so far as to publicly call out some of Project 2025 views as” absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” Therefore, those pushing this fear narrative, including President Biden and his proxies, do so falsely. The latest “threat” concerning Project 2025 and Donald Trump represents nothing more than fake news, a threat without tooth or claw.