Director of Project 2025 leaves Heritage Foundation

(NEW YORK) – The director of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 vision for a comprehensive overhaul of the federal government has left his post, the conservative think tank confirmed Tuesday.

Paul Dans’ departure comes after the project “completed exactly what it set out to do: bring together more than 110 leading conservative organizations to create a unified conservative vision motivated to return power from the unelected administrative state and return it to the people ”. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said in a statement that the group is following its original timeline.

But the news comes after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump increasingly rejected Project 2025 amid growing attacks from Democrats, sparking speculation that Trump’s campaign forced his way out.

See more information: Column: Project 2025 plan to eliminate public schools has begun

In recent months, Democrats have made Project 2025 a key election-year cudgel, pointing to the ultra-conservative policy blueprint as a glimpse of how extreme another Trump administration could be.

The nearly 1,000-page manual lays out sweeping changes to the federal government, including changing personnel rules to ensure government employees are more loyal to the president.

However, Trump has repeatedly rejected the document, saying on social media that he has not read it and knows nothing about it.

See more information: Column: How Trump pushed project 2025 – whether he wanted to or not

“President Trump’s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 has nothing to do with the campaign, does not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the president in any way,” said Susie, Trump campaign advisor. Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a statement: “Reports on the end of Project 2025 would be most welcome and should serve as a warning to any person or group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign – this will not end well for you”.

Many Trump allies and former aides contributed to the project, which proposes a mass layoff of government employees and sweeping changes to American life. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and top Democrats have repeatedly linked Trump to Project 2025 as they argue against a second term for the former president.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in New York and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.