New Leaks: What Does Project 2025 Reveal About the Intentions of American Far Right?

A trove of previously undisclosed training videos linked to Project 2025, a highly controversial initiative aimed at preparing right-wing political appointees for a potential conservative administration, has recently come to light, stirring concern among government watchdogs and Democratic groups.

The release of these videos comes as former President Donald Trump has been actively distancing himself from the project, coinciding with leadership changes at The Heritage Foundation, the organization behind Project 2025.

Far-Right Policies

The leaks, consisting of more than 14 hours of footage spread across 23 recordings, were obtained by ProPublica through an individual with insider access.

The recordings provide an unfiltered view of the meticulous preparations being undertaken by conservative groups to swiftly implement sweeping policy changes should a Republican candidate secure the presidency in 2024.

“Want to know what's in PROJECT 2025's never-before-published training videos to make future Trump appointees 'ready on Day One'? We got 'em" ProPublica reporter Andy Kroll posted on X.

Project 2025 has recently faced mounting scrutiny, particularly after the resignation of its director Paul Dans and Trump’s attempts to dissociate from the initiative.

Trump’s campaign has publicly welcomed reports of Project 2025’s potential dissolution, insisting that the project has no ties to the former president and should not be linked to his campaign.

However, the newly surfaced videos suggest that extensive efforts are still being made to train a new cadre of conservative political appointees.

The recordings cover a broad range of topics, from fundamental governance procedures to more controversial tactics aimed at advancing conservative policies and countering resistance from career civil servants.

One of the more striking videos features Bethany Kozma, a former Trump administration official, downplaying the dangers of climate change and framing environmental efforts as a means of population control.

In the same video, Katie Sullivan, who served as an acting assistant attorney general under Trump, advocates for eliminating gender adviser roles instituted by the Biden administration across federal agencies.

These perspectives align with the broader goals laid out in Project 2025’s extensive "Mandate for Leadership" document, which proposes significant changes such as dismantling the Department of Education, reducing Medicaid, and facilitating the firing and replacement of career civil servants.

The plan also calls for reversing many of the Biden administration’s climate policies, rolling back abortion and LGBTQ+ “rights,” and reforming education standards.

Despite Trump’s recent attempts to distance himself from Project 2025, the training videos prominently feature individuals with ties to his administration

Of the 36 speakers appearing in the recordings, 29 have served in some capacity under Trump—either on his transition team, within his administration, or on his current re-election campaign.

‘Conservative Ambush’

The videos reveal a critical self-assessment among Trump-era veterans, who acknowledge the challenges faced during the early days of his first administration, particularly around staffing and the inexperience of political appointees.

They present Project 2025 as an essential effort to avoid similar pitfalls in a future conservative administration. Rick Dearborn, a key figure in Trump’s 2016 transition team, underscores the importance of having a ready database of potential appointees, describing it as “a luxury that we didn’t have” during the last transition.

Some advice offered in the videos diverges from traditional conservative orthodoxy.

For instance, David Burton, an economic policy expert at The Heritage Foundation, recommends expanding the staffing at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to more effectively scrutinize and potentially limit regulations issued by other federal agencies.

Throughout the videos, a recurring theme is the expectation of a hostile environment for conservative appointees within the federal government and mainstream media.

The speakers portray Washington, D.C., as antagonistic to conservative values and caution against potential persecution.

To counter this, they suggest strategies such as empowering political staff over career civil servants, cleansing social media profiles of potentially controversial content, and prioritizing media engagements with conservative outlets over mainstream ones.

Public opinion on Project 2025 appears overwhelmingly negative, with only 11 percent of voters viewing it favorably, according to a Navigator Research poll.

Following Paul Dans’ departure, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts has taken the reins of Project 2025, asserting that the initiative has successfully unified conservative organizations around a shared vision.

He indicated that the project would conclude its policy drafting phase after the two major party conventions this year, in line with its original timeline set in April 2022.

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the release of these Project-2025 training videos is poised to fuel further debate over the potential policy directions and governance approaches of a future Republican administration.

While supporters argue that the initiative represents essential preparation, critics warn that it could serve as a blueprint for radical changes to federal government operations and policies.

The Heritage Foundation and many individuals featured in the videos reportedly did not respond to ProPublica’s requests for comment.

Nature of the Project

Some Democrats view Project 2025 as a potential lifeline for Kamala Harris’s election campaign, which faces significant challenges. Yet, Trump has distanced himself from the project, claiming no knowledge of it.

But what exactly is Project 2025? According to Fox News, it’s a comprehensive blueprint crafted by the far-right political movement, outlining the agenda for the next Republican president.

Its aim is to make Trump’s potential second term more organized and effective than his first.

The project is spearheaded by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, which collaborated with over 100 right-wing groups to produce a 922-page document detailing policy recommendations.

Insiders emphasize that Project 2025 is not just a collection of lofty goals. Instead, it’s a practical guide for what the next administration could achieve, with many contributors being veterans of Trump’s previous administration. The recommendations within the project fall into three main categories.

The first focuses on consolidating power within the presidency, granting Trump and his appointees greater control over executive agencies. Critics fear this could lead to political corruption and abuse of power.

The second group of recommendations pushes for long-term conservative priorities. These include slashing federal spending on social programs, rolling back environmental regulations, increasing military spending, and other initiatives that align with Trump’s platform, though he has yet to formally endorse them.

The third group advocates for a strict religious right agenda. Proposals here include banning abortion, restricting access to contraception, and criminalizing pornography.

Trump has expressed skepticism about some of these ideas, describing certain proposals as "unbelievable and ridiculous" on his Truth Social platform.

While Trump has praised the Heritage Foundation in the past, his recent disavowal of Project 2025 raises questions about his actual involvement. The project appears tailored to his policy preferences, suggesting it was crafted with Trump in mind, even if he wasn’t directly involved in its development.

As Project 2025 gains attention, rumors and misinformation have spread online. Some lists circulating on social media exaggerate the project’s contents, falsely claiming it advocates for banning divorce, raising the retirement age, and other extreme measures.

While the project doesn’t include these proposals, many of its supporters have expressed interest in such policies.

Should Trump win re-election, many believe he would enthusiastically pursue the centralization of executive power outlined in Project 2025.

However, some proposals, such as banning pornography, seem unlikely to gain his support. Abortion policy remains a contentious issue, with Trump previously handing key positions to anti-abortion advocates while remaining vague about his stance during the campaign.

While the exact impact of Project 2025 remains uncertain, the possibility that Trump could advance its more radical elements if re-elected has become a source of significant concern for his opponents.