The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 has come into the spotlight amid the 2024 presidential race, facing harsh criticism from Democrats who claim it outlines a regressive vision for America under a potential Trump presidency. Initially known only among policy experts, Project 2025 gained prominence after the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. It has since been frequently mentioned in campaign speeches by Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
At a recent event in Houston, Harris criticized Project 2025, alleging it aims to dismantle key social programs and return America to a “dark past.” She pointed to the project’s 900-page document, suggesting it includes plans to cut Medicare and Social Security, and end student loan forgiveness for public servants.
Project 2025 is part of a long tradition by the Heritage Foundation of producing policy recommendations for Republican presidents, dating back to Ronald Reagan. The project encompasses a variety of topics, including education and personnel preparation for presidential transitions. Critics have focused on a book titled “Mandate for Leadership – the Conservative Promise.”
Steven Groves, a co-editor of the book, defended the project in an interview with the Washington Examiner. He encouraged the public to read the document, available for free online. “Every recommendation that Project 2025 has ever made on any topic is right there in those 900 pages,” Groves said. He claimed many criticisms from Democrats are fabricated.
“Their interest is not in taking on a conservative think tank project,” Groves stated. “Their interest is in lying about that project and then attributing extreme policies to their political opponent, in this case, President Trump.”
Groves noted that the book was published in April 2023, well before any presidential candidates declared their intentions. He pointed out that media coverage was mostly neutral until the project became a campaign issue after the debate.
“It wasn’t until it was crystal clear to everyone that Biden was going to lose and lose big that the Left, Biden, and Kamala decided to make a target out of the project,” Groves said. “President Trump doesn’t have anything to do with this project.”
Addressing a viral graphic shared by actor Mark Hamill, which listed an alleged extreme agenda of Project 2025, Groves stated that only five of the 31 items were true or partially true.
“It’s easy enough to go to our book that’s online,” Groves said. “Do Control F… if you want to put in Control F: abortion; Control F: marriage, you can find everything that we’ve written about those topics.”
Despite repeated denials from Project 2025, Democrats insist the project includes radical proposals and is closely linked to Trump. DNC National Press Secretary Emilia Rowland accused Trump of trying to distance himself from the project while concealing his true agenda.
Project 2025 includes contributions from a broad spectrum of authors, with about two-thirds not affiliated with the Heritage Foundation. Groves noted that many chapters contain both majority and minority views, reflecting the diversity within the conservative movement.
“Within many of the chapters you’ll see, let’s call them minority views,” Groves explained. “There were some issues that really kind of split where conservatives are.”
Groves urged Republicans to disregard Democratic criticisms and remain united. “Don’t listen to the Left’s lies about Project 2025, don’t listen to Biden and Harris’s lies about Project 2025. If the Left and Harris are lying about it, then you have to realize that we’re over the target.”
