Republicans are downplaying Project 2025’s influence as Democrats see their warnings about the Heritage Foundation-led policy agenda become one of the few messages breaking through the frenzy over President Biden’s age and abilities.
But even as they note the distinction between former President Trump’s agenda and that of Project 2025, congressional Republicans are not completely dismissing the think tank project or the organizations behind it.
“I’m not familiar with it yet. And I’m one of those people who knows a lot about what’s going on in terms of policy. So if I’m not familiar with it, that means it’s really a nothing burger,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) said about Project 2025.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he hasn’t had the opportunity to review what’s in the long proposal. But he added: “I certainly support the groups that are behind this and the principles that they have been working on.”
And in what is perhaps a sign of the effectiveness of Democratic efforts to link Project 2025 to Trump and the Republican Party, the former president specifically distanced himself from it, saying he knows nothing about it and that “some of the things they are saying they are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.”
Heritage, the leading conservative think tank, is leading the unofficial presidential transition project that is joined by more than 100 other right-wing organizations. Part of the initiative involves compiling a database of conservative officials who could serve in the next Republican administration.
But it’s yours Mandate for Leadership policy platform with over 900 pagesmany of which were written by former Trump administration officials and key allies, which are drawing widespread attention.
Part of that political platform is more conservative than the positions taken by Trump and the Republican National Committee platform. One major divide concerns abortion: While Project 2025 calls for rescinding federal approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, Trump has said he will not block access to abortion pills.
But there is also overlap. O RNC Platformfor example, it calls for “CONDUCTING THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY,” while Project 2025 says the next administration should prioritize “border security and immigration enforcement, including detention and deportation” and outlines numerous suggested reforms to do so.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) suggested that foreigners not take the platform too literally.
“You throw enough things against the wall then it might stick, right?” Cassidy said. “But just because you’re throwing it against the wall doesn’t mean that this, oh my God, has now become holy scripture.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is vying to become leader of the Republican Party next year, agreed.
“A lot of the think tanks are helpful, just because they take the time and have the expertise to look at these things and come up with — sometimes they come up with good ideas, but sometimes they come up with some bad ideas as well,” Cornyn said. . “The more the merrier as far as I’m concerned.”
But Democrats have attacked Project 2025, using it to conjure images of a shadowy Trump master plan, and this is peppered in their public statements.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) opened a press conference Thursday by saying Republicans want to “shove Trump’s Project 2025 down the throats of the American people,” describing the plan as “dangerous, cowardly and diabolical.”
Biden’s campaign has leaned particularly heavily on Project 2025’s messaging, formally launching a messaging effort to link Republicans and Trump to the effort in March, around the time of the State of the Union.
As Republicans gather in Milwaukee for their national convention next week, Biden’s campaign ramps up with billboards in the Milwaukee area highlighting Project 2025.
“Donald Trump and his Project 2025 allies on Capitol Hill may try to duck and dodge the issues of their extreme agenda, but voters aren’t buying it – they see their plans to destroy women’s freedoms, increase their taxes by thousands of dollars, and empowering Trump to govern like a ‘dictator from day one’ – and that will cost them this November,” Sarafina Chitika, a spokeswoman for the Biden campaign, told The Hill.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Viet Shelton called Project 2025 “a perfectly gift-wrapped collection of House Republicans’ most dangerous and least popular ideas,” adding that “the enthusiastic adoption of Project 2025 by House Republicans will be the anchor that the DCCC will use to sink the campaigns of so-called moderates who demonstrate nothing but blind loyalty to Trump and his extremism.”
Publicly, Republicans say they are not concerned about the impact of the messages — especially as much of the focus has been on Biden’s own fitness and issues such as the economy.
“I don’t know who they think this is resonating with,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). “I mean, the families I’m talking to are concerned about Biden’s agenda and how it’s hurting them.”
Rep. Richard Hudson (RN.C.), chairman of the House Republicans’ campaign arm, said he hadn’t even heard of Prop 2025 until he started seeing press about it. “Once again, the left is desperately seeking anything to save itself,” Hudson said.
A GOP strategist told The Hill that they had not seen Project 2025 come up as an issue in any polls, focus groups or voter interactions, and did not expect that to change given Trump’s distancing from the effort.
Democrats, however, are pleased that Project 2025 is going viral far beyond their own public statements.
Google search interest in Project 2025 has skyrocketed over the past two weeks, even overcoming interest in pop superstar Taylor Swift. Project 2025’s John Oliver’s examination of a late June episode of Last Week Tonight is over 7 million viewson Youtube. Singer Lizzo is among the celebrities speaking out about Project 2025, posta TikTok on the subject.
This virality has given way to misinformation, in some cases. Project 2025 checkeda graphic from actor Mark Hamill who falsely said he was calling for an end to no-fault divorce, among other allegations.
A YouGov from July 8th to 11th surveyfound that 59% of American adults have heard of Project 2025, including 71% of Democrats, about half of independents, and 55% of Republicans. Among independents, 7% had a favorable opinion, while 38% had a negative opinion and 55% did not know.
A spokesperson for Project 2025 posted in Xearlier this month that the coalition “does not speak on behalf of any candidate or campaign”.
“But ultimately it is up to the president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement,” the Project 2025 spokesperson said.
When Heritage created a previous “Mandate for Leadership” policy plan in 2016, it later boastedthat the Trump administration had adopted two-thirds of its proposals.
And this year, the project’s idea of having ready-to-use political plans is welcomed by some Republicans, even if they don’t necessarily support everything in it.
“I think it’s a good idea for Republicans to start planning for next year. And I know there are a lot of different organizations and groups involved with this,” Cornyn said. “I saw that President Trump made a point of saying that this does not represent his views and his plans. But I think trying to get the best brands and the best ideas, bringing them to the table, will help us make better decisions next year.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
