Trump’s Ties to Project 2025 Revealed: Influence on the Republican Party Platform

The Republican Party is preparing to confirm its first new platform since 2016, and it appears that former President Donald Trump’s influence is still strongly felt. Despite Trump claiming to have no knowledge of “Project 2025,” a conservative plan to overhaul the federal government, key individuals with ties to the project have been chosen to shape the party’s platform. Russ Vought, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Ed Martin, president of the Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund, have been named as the policy director and deputy policy director of the platform committee, respectively. Both Vought and Martin have connections to Project 2025, with Vought even authoring a chapter for the plan’s comprehensive policy guide.

This revelation raises questions about Trump’s true involvement with Project 2025. While he has distanced himself from the controversial plan, it is clear that individuals closely aligned with the project have been given significant roles in shaping the Republican Party’s platform. Other members of the platform committee, such as Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, also have ties to Project 2025. Perkins has been vocal about his desire to maintain strong anti-abortion language in the platform.

The new platform has already been adopted by an 84-14 committee vote, and the full Republican National Committee membership will vote to officially confirm it next week. The Democratic National Committee has criticized the platform as being extreme and containing numerous falsehoods. They argue that Project 2025 architects were put in charge of crafting the platform, resulting in a document filled with lies.

On the other side, the Republican National Committee defends their platform, claiming that it is the only policy endorsed by Trump for a second term. They accuse the Biden-Harris campaign of fear-mongering and lacking alternative policies. Both parties are now using Project 2025 as a political weapon, with the Biden-Harris campaign running ads linking Trump and the project together.

Despite Trump’s attempts to distance himself, it is clear that Project 2025 and his world are interconnected. Former members of the Trump administration, including Stephen Miller, are involved with the project. Miller, who recently assisted Trump with debate preparation, appears in Project 2025’s educational video and is a member of the project’s advisory board. Trump’s PAC-funded groups also have representatives on the advisory board, further blurring the lines between the project and the former president.

Project 2025’s agenda aligns with Trump’s campaign promises, such as expanding presidential power and cutting federal agencies. The proposal also seeks to reverse the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, an issue on which Trump has expressed differing views. Despite Trump’s attempts to create distance, it is evident that Project 2025 shares many goals with his administration.

Other policy groups and think tanks with ties to Trump have also proposed policy outlines for a potential second term. The America First Policy Institute, which houses former Trump administration officials, and the Conservative Partnership Institute, led by Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have both received donations from Trump’s Save America PAC.

While the Trump campaign has distanced itself from outside policy groups, including Project 2025, it is clear that these organizations have played a significant role in shaping the party’s platform. The influence of Project 2025 and its supporters cannot be ignored, as they continue to impact conservative policy discussions and the direction of the Republican Party.