Paul Dans, the director of Project 2025 – the ultraconservative blueprint for a second Trump administration – resigned this week at the urging of Donald Trump. Trump has been trying to distance himself from Project 2025, despite the fact that many of its authors – including Dans – worked in his administration, and many would work in a second Trump administration.
But the 900 page document is wildly unpopular with ordinary people, who disagree with its plan to politicize Civil Service, eliminate the Department of Education and the Head Start program, outlaw all abortions, and define trans people out of existence. Kamala Harris and other Democratic candidates are wisely – and rightly – tying Trump to Project 2025. So of course Trump is saying he knows nothing about it.
There are two problems with this. The first is that there is considerable overlap between Project 2025 and Trump’s own Agenda 47. Both are designed to increase the power of the President and to send the country back to the 1950s… and in some cases, back to the 1890s.
The second is that just because the director of Project 2025 is gone doesn’t mean the project is dead. Far from it. Project 2025 is a radical right wish list that’s been in development for many years. It’s not dependent on Trump – Trump is just the tool the fascists plan to use to implement it. If Trump fails they’ll be happy to find another tool in 2028.
Project 2025 is like the monster in a horror movie. Just because it looks dead doesn’t mean it is dead. It will keep coming back until it is finally and totally defeated, first at the ballot box and then in the wider culture.
This election is a simple, clear choice. Either we get Kamala Harris, competent government, and generally progressive policies, or we get Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Project 2025.
Which one we get depends on who turns out to vote.