Trump embraces Project 2025 after disavowing it during 2024 campaign

Trump Mentions Project 2025 Again — Despite Previously Disowning It

Former President Donald Trump has once again brought up Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that gained national attention during the 2024 election. This is notable because throughout that campaign, Trump repeatedly denied having any connection to it.

Why Project 2025 Was Controversial

Project 2025 is not an official Trump campaign document. Instead, it was drafted by conservative think tanks, primarily the Heritage Foundation, with contributions from several of Trump’s former officials.

The plan outlines dramatic changes to federal agencies, civil service rules, law enforcement, media regulation, and even cultural policies. Democrats seized on it as evidence of what they called an extreme second-term agenda, while some Trump allies openly promoted it as a roadmap for governing.

Driving the News: Trump Publicly Acknowledges a Key Project 2025 Architect

This week, Trump said he planned to meet with Russ Vought, his former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to discuss cutting federal agencies in response to the ongoing government shutdown.

What stood out was how Trump introduced him.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump referred to Vought as “of Project 2025 fame.” He followed it with a taunting remark aimed at Democrats:

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”

Why That Phrase Matters

By calling Vought “of Project 2025 fame,” Trump is doing something he avoided during the 2024 campaign: publicly embracing someone known for helping design Project 2025’s most aggressive proposals.

This is significant because:

• Vought was a co-architect of Project 2025, contributing the section outlining how to restructure the executive branch.
• He previously served as vice president of Heritage Action for America, the political arm of the organization that produced the plan.
• Other major Trump allies — including Tom Homan, John Ratcliffe, and Pete Hoekstra — also helped build the initiative.

In other words, Trump is now openly coordinating with one of the most influential figures behind the very plan he once rejected.

Supporters Are Cheering It On

Project 2025 remains popular among hardline conservatives. Recently, when someone on X (formerly Twitter) suggested that actions by the FCC were aligned with the Project’s goals, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr — another contributor to the document — posted a GIF of Jack Nicholson nodding menacingly. It was widely read as approval.

But Didn’t Trump Deny All of This?

Yes — and repeatedly.

During his debate with Kamala Harris in 2024, Trump dismissed the plan entirely:

“I have nothing to do with Project 2025.”
“I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it, purposely.”

At the time, Trump distanced himself to avoid being tied to policies Democrats used to attack him.

So What’s Really Happening?

Trump still hasn’t formally endorsed Project 2025 — but his actions are beginning to align with it.

By highlighting Russ Vought’s role and involving him in discussions about federal agency cuts, Trump is testing the waters. He may be signaling that while he won’t officially adopt Project 2025 as his own, he has no problem implementing parts of it through trusted allies.

In short: Trump is walking a fine line — denying the plan publicly, but quietly coordinating with the people who wrote it.