Hours before the presidential debate on Thursday, President Biden’s campaign launched a website targeting Project 2025, a policy and staffing playbook assembled by allies of former President Donald J. Trump that proposes an overhaul of the government under a new Republican administration. The plan, which aims to dramatically reshape the federal government, differs from Trump’s official platform and has drawn significant attention on social media.
Project 2025, a transition agenda compiled by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and numerous aligned groups, is associated with Mr. Trump on the Biden campaign’s website. It is portrayed as a proposal that would allow him to weaken democratic checks and balances, consolidating power in the Oval Office.
While Project 2025 is not Mr. Trump’s official platform, his campaign instead points to Agenda47, which focuses on immigration restrictions and economic growth. Nevertheless, Project 2025 has sparked concerns among Democrats about the potential implications of a second Trump term.
Conservative policy groups were caught off guard by Mr. Trump’s victory in 2016 and have since prepared Project 2025, a 920-page document outlining a radical transformation of the executive branch. The platform suggests replacing many federal civil servant positions with political appointees loyal to the president. Additionally, it proposes measures such as restricting abortion rights, criminalizing pornography, reducing funding for climate research, and abolishing the Commerce Department.
Although detailed policy proposals typically do not attract much attention, Project 2025 has gained traction in liberal social media circles. Public figures like John Oliver and Charlamagne tha God have discussed the platform, with Oliver’s segment on the topic garnering over five million views on YouTube. Concerns have been raised about the potential establishment of an “authoritarian state” in America if Project 2025 were to be implemented.
Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the Biden-Harris campaign, emphasized that Project 2025 highlights the significance of the 2024 election. She stated, “The American people are becoming aware of how extreme and unpopular Donald Trump’s second-term agenda is – and they are prepared to prevent it in November.”
As the debate approaches, it remains to be seen whether President Biden will address Project 2025 directly in his comments. The website launched by his campaign signals a clear effort to draw attention to the potential consequences of embracing such a transformative agenda. The debate tonight may shed more light on how both candidates plan to navigate these critical policy differences moving forward.