As a leader both past and possibly future, Donald Trump once championed Project 2025 as the ultimate guide for what his movement would accomplish should he return to the White House.
However, when the plans outlined in this blueprint became controversial during the 2024 campaign trail, Trump quickly distanced himself, dismissing the “absurd” proposals partly crafted by those within his own circle from his first term.
Fast forward to Trump’s victory on November 5, securing his position as the 47th president. He’s now enlisting some key players for his administration, individuals connected to the very same strategies he had momentarily set aside. Noteworthy appointments include Russell Vought returning to spearhead the Office of Management and Budget, Tom Homan being assigned as the “border czar,” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller stepping in as deputy chief of policy.
These selections have reignited concerns among Democrats. They caution that Trump’s administration risks handing over unprecedented control to conservative forces determined to centralize power in the West Wing, advancing a robust right-wing agenda across government and societal domains.
Trump, however, insists that his electoral win provides a mandate to revamp Washington but stresses that the specifics remain his own.
“President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” asserted his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. “All of the President’s appointments are fully committed to his vision, not external influence.”
Let’s delve into how Trump’s choices might shape his upcoming presidency.
### Budget Chief Vought Eyes Expansive Influence
Russell Vought, who filled the Office of Management and Budget director position earlier during Trump’s tenure, again steps into a role requiring Senate confirmation. Traditionally, this position crafts the president’s budget plans and oversees the administration’s broader agendas. Vought, a key author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority, envisions amplifying the role’s power.
“The Director should think of his role as the clearest embodiment of the President’s priorities,” Vought once penned. He argues that the OMB is akin to an “air-traffic control system” for the administration and believes it should possess the capacity to override other agencies’ bureaucracies.
While Trump did not delve into nuances, he endorsed robust leadership, praising Vought’s ability to “dismantle the Deep State”—his term for federal bureaucracy—pledging to restore “fiscal sanity.”
Vought illustrated his readiness for confrontation during a podcast featuring former Trump aide Steve Bannon, suggesting, “We won’t rescue our country without some conflict.”
### Joining Forces with Musk and Trump to Redefine Government’s Role
Bolstered aspirations to centralize executive power heavily influence both Project 2025’s and Trump’s strategies. Vought’s notions align strikingly well with Trump’s plans to expand presidential influence over federal operations and budget allocations. Notably, Trump has appointed billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead a “Department of Government Efficiency.”
During his initial term, Trump aimed to transform the federal civil service by reclassifying numerous workers as political appointees, making their replacement easier. Though President Biden later reversed these changes, Trump is set to reinstate them.
Musk and Ramaswamy’s leadership reflects Trump’s revival of a constitutional theory favoring presidential control over federal spending. Under this notion, when lawmakers approve budgets, they only set maximum limits, permitting the president discretion over actual spending.
Vought did not explicitly incorporate this theory in his writings, yet advocated for robust fiscal discipline, warning that any reluctance would signify a significant shortfall.
Trump’s appointment of Vought quickly attracted criticism.
“Russ Vought is an extreme ideologue seeking to unlawfully grant President Trump authority he doesn’t hold,” cautioned Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. “He aims to empower Trump to arbitrarily dismiss thousands of civil servants.”
Representatives Jamie Raskin and Melanie Stansbury also contended that Vought aims to “dismantle the federal workforce” crucial for public services like veterans’ healthcare and Social Security.
“The agenda is to cause harm,” they argued.
### At the Crossroads of Immigration: Homan and Miller
Trump’s denial over Project 2025 never addressed the shared ground between his ideals and its initiatives, particularly concerning immigration. Both agendas aim to resurrect Trump-era limits on immigration. The comprehensive scheme encompasses tightening restrictions on refugees, work visas, and asylum seekers.
Stephen Miller, a stalwart advisor behind Trump’s immigration tactics, including his vast deportation initiative promises, is positioned as deputy policy chief. Although the role does not require Senate approval, it ensures his continued proximity to the president.
During an October rally at Madison Square Garden, Miller declared, “America is for Americans only.”
Miller’s group, ‘America First Legal,’ initially identified as an advisory entity for Project 2025, asked to be removed from endorsement to avoid negative press.
Tom Homan, once a figure behind Trump’s “family separation policy” and a contributor to Project 2025, will reprise his role. Earlier this year, Homan warned, “No one is beyond reach. If you’re here illegally, be on high alert.”
### Project 2025 Advisory Figures Slated for Key Roles
John Ratcliffe, tapped to head the CIA, previously served as Trump’s director of national intelligence and contributed to Project 2025. His former chief of staff, Dustin Carmack, penned the plan’s intelligence chapter, asserting traditional approaches lacked assertiveness. Ratcliffe himself, reflecting a firm stance akin to China, echoes throughout the Project 2025 document.
Meanwhile, Brendan Carr is Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Communications Commission. As the FCC’s senior Republican, he authored the chapter focusing on communications policy. Carr advocates for tackling corporate overreach impacting individual liberties, especially concerning Big Tech companies filtering diverse viewpoints online.
The roles of both Carr and Ratcliffe will necessitate Senate confirmation.
