Biden assails Project 2025, a plan to transform government, and Trump’s claim to be unaware of it
Biden assails Project 2025, a plan to transform government, and Trump’s claim to be unaware of it
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, June 22, 2024, in Philadelphia. Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
FILE - Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, speaks in Washington, April 12, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if Trump is elected back into the White House. Roberts said that Republicans are “in the process of taking this country back” when he spoke Tuesday, July 2, 2024, on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - Paul Dans, director of Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation, speaks at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Feb. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including Dans. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
FILE - Acting director of Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought listens during a television interview at the White House, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including Vought. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Director of the Presidential Personnel Office John McEntee is seen on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including McEntee. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, June 22, 2024, in Philadelphia. Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, June 22, 2024, in Philadelphia. Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)
FILE - Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, speaks in Washington, April 12, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if Trump is elected back into the White House. Roberts said that Republicans are “in the process of taking this country back” when he spoke Tuesday, July 2, 2024, on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation, speaks in Washington, April 12, 2023. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if Trump is elected back into the White House. Roberts said that Republicans are “in the process of taking this country back” when he spoke Tuesday, July 2, 2024, on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - Paul Dans, director of Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation, speaks at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Feb. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including Dans. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
FILE - Paul Dans, director of Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation, speaks at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Feb. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including Dans. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
FILE - Acting director of Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought listens during a television interview at the White House, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including Vought. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Acting director of Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought listens during a television interview at the White House, Oct. 21, 2019, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including Vought. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Director of the Presidential Personnel Office John McEntee is seen on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including McEntee. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - Director of the Presidential Personnel Office John McEntee is seen on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is seeking to distance himself from a plan for a massive overhaul of the federal government drafted by some of his administration officials, including McEntee. Some of these men are expected to take high-level roles if the Republican presumptive nominee is elected back into the White House. Trump is saying on Truth Social that he “knew nothing about Project 2025.” (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025, a massive proposed overhaul of the federal government drafted by longtime allies and former officials in his administration, days after the head of the think tank responsible for the program suggested there would be a second American Revolution.
“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump posted on his social media website. “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
The 922-page plan outlines a dramatic expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire as many as 50,000 government workers to replace them with Trump loyalists. President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has worked to draw more attention to the agenda, particularly as Biden tries to keep fellow Democrats on board after his disastrous debate.
“He’s trying to hide his connections to his allies’ extreme Project 2025 agenda,” Biden said of Trump in a statement released by his campaign Saturday. “The only problem? It was written for him, by those closest to him. Project 2025 should scare every single American.”
Trump has outlined his own plans to remake the government if he wins a second term, including staging the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and imposing tariffs on potentially all imports. His campaign has previously warned outside allies not to presume to speak for the former president and suggested their transition-in-waiting efforts were unhelpful.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since the 2020 election. More challenges lie ahead in 2024.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
- Read the latest: Follow AP’s complete coverage of this year’s election.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast Tuesday that Republicans are “in the process of taking this country back.” Former U.S. Rep. Dave Brat of Virginia hosted the show for Bannon, who is serving a four-month prison term.
“We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,” Roberts said.
Those comments were widely circulated online and assailed by Biden’s campaign, which accused Trump and his allies of “dreaming of a violent revolution to destroy the very idea of America.”
Some of the people involved in Project 2025 are former senior administration officials. The project’s director is Paul Dans, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump. Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt was featured in one of Project 2025’s videos.
John McEntee, a former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office in the Trump administration, is a senior adviser. McEntee told the conservative news site The Daily Wire earlier this year that Project 2025’s team would integrate a lot of its work with the campaign after the summer when Trump would announce his transition team.
Trump’s comments on Project 2025 come before the Republican Party’s meetings this coming week to begin to draft its party platform.
Project 2025 has been preparing its own 180-day agenda for the next administration that it plans to share privately, rather than as part of its public-facing book of priorities for a Republican president. A key Trump ally, Russ Vought, who contributed to Project 2025 and is drafting this final pillar, is also on the Republican National Committee’s platform writing committee.
Project 2025 said in a statement it not tied to a specific candidate or campaign.
“We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president,” it said. “But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.”
A Biden campaign spokesperson said Project 2025 staff members are also leading the Republican policy platform. “Project 2025 is the extreme policy and personnel playbook for Trump’s second term that should scare the hell out of the American people,” said Ammar Moussa.
On Thursday, as the country celebrated Independence Day and Biden prepared for his television interview after his halting debate performance, the president’s campaign posted on X a shot from the dystopian TV drama “The Handmaid’s Tale” showing a group of women in the show’s red dresses and white hats standing in formation by a reflecting pool with a cross at the far end where the Washington Monument should be. The story revolves around women who are stripped of their identities and forced to give birth to children for other couples in a totalitarian regime.
“Fourth of July under Trump’s Project 2025,” the post said.
___
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in New York and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.