At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which began on August 19, 2024, Kamala Harris and her allies have turned Project 2025 into a focal point of their campaign against former President Donald Trump. The convention has seen a dramatic presentation of the conservative-written handbook, with Mallory McMorrow, a 37-year-old Michigan state senator, unveiling a giant copy of the approximately 900-page "Mandate for Leadership" document.
McMorrow, addressing the convention attendees, stated, "They went ahead and wrote down all the extreme things that Donald Trump wants to do in the next four years. We read it." This theatrical presentation aims to draw attention to the document's contents and its potential implications for a future Republican administration.
Project 2025, created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank established in 1973, outlines a significant expansion of presidential power and proposes replacing up to 50,000 government workers with presidential loyalists. The document suggests closing the U.S. Department of Education and dismantling the Department of Homeland Security, redistributing its functions to other federal offices.
"Dropping the book on the podium played a big part in what we wanted to do."
Democrats plan to discuss Project 2025 throughout the convention, with different speakers presenting the oversized book each night. This strategy aims to maintain focus on the document's proposals and their potential impact on American governance.
However, Donald Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025, denying knowledge of its creators and the Heritage Foundation's involvement. Some Republicans, like Florida Representative Byron Donalds, have criticized the Democrats' focus on the plan, calling it "insanity" and emphasizing Trump's disavowal of the project.
Despite these denials, several key figures involved in Project 2025 have ties to the Trump administration. Paul Dans, the project's former director, served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump. Russell Vought, Trump's former White House budget chief, was a primary architect of the plan and has been appointed to the Republican National Committee's platform writing committee.
As the November 2024 presidential election approaches, the debate surrounding Project 2025 continues to intensify. Democrats are leveraging the document to criticize potential Republican policies, while Republicans attempt to downplay its significance and distance themselves from its contents.
This political maneuvering highlights the complex landscape of American politics, where policy proposals and their interpretations can become powerful tools in shaping public opinion and electoral strategies.