Trump has been running from the words ‘Project 2025’ the way a vampire would run from sunlight or from an approaching tidal wave of Holy Water. Except to say it’s something he ‘had never read’ which is probably true. No one would believe Trump would read a 900 (plus) page policy tome. He has however most certainly read bullet-pointed summaries. He also says things like he had nothing to do with it, has no connection to it, and really (sure Donald!) doesn’t really know what’s in it. The only thing he knows for sure is that it won’t have any impact on his new administration. If he can’t call it a ‘coffee boy’ perhaps it’s some slogan posted on the wall of the little room where they keep coffee and snacks!
Well, we know damn well Trump knows all about Project 2025. He knows the people who put it together – so many worked in significant roles in his administration after all. Then there’s his VP pick J.D. Vance who wrote a glowing endorsement to the book (who’s release has been delayed because of all the controversy that might hurt Trump’s electoral chances) by the principle architect of the whole plan. Trump knows the main players, or most of them. And he knows The Heritage Foundation too. Enough to have recently gone there for an appearance/chat. Trump’s not a detail guy, but he’s been told the outline of Project 2025 and he’s fine with it. He greenlighted the whole thing before it all became controversial. However you can be sure somewhere in Trump World there’s some folks quietly at work to start implementing Project 2025 starting with the transition.
More importantly, despite Trump’s regular statements denouncing Project 2025 he keeps saying stuff he wants to do that’s damned near exactly what’s in the freaking thing! In fact, as The New York Times has reported he did it again in Wisconsin this past weekend. Michael Gold, author of the linked article called Trump’s address (to a crowd of hundreds I should add – not as Trump would tell you tens of thousands) at an airport in Wisconsin rambling and unfocused. Not that that’s unusual for Trump. What I want to focus on is things he says to friendly crowds/interviewers when he’s not ruminating on sharks and boat batteries, the culinary ‘delights’ of dinner with Hannibal Lector or even rants about ‘stollen’ elections.
Trump, even when a Fox person or some other friendly interviewers try to keep him from stepping in shiite still talks about doing things that happen to be just what’s in Project 2025. Worse, he’s started to show an inclination to talk with “influencers”, RWNJ podcasters and the like that egg him on. And then there’s what he does when he gets in front of a crowd. Everyone including Fox stopped showing them from start to finish long ago. Even when Fox shows one they wind up cutting away. My bet is that the producer hopes Trump will say something that’s not so bad and then cut to something else before he does! The point is that once Trump starts ‘free associating’ he opens a window into what would really happen if he gets back into the WH:
Many of the proposals in Mr. Trump’s speech align with plans reported by The New York Times to conduct a broad expansion of presidential power over government, and to effectively concentrate more authority within the White House, if he wins in November.
And many of his pledges dovetailed with the stated goals and proposals of Project 2025, an effort by a group of conservative organizations to develop policies for the next Republican president. Mr. Trump has disavowed Project 2025 as Democrats have seized on some of its more radical proposals, even as he has said that he agrees with some of its efforts.
It’s a short article and worth the less than two minutes to read if the NYT paywall doesn’t block you. Still, after reading it and thinking about it (before deciding to write this) I can’t help but feel that the author was forced by editorial to soften the tone. Yes, the author was allowed to mention numerous things, such as Trump’s talking about eliminating the Dept. of Education, going to work on DOJ (again!), using RFK Jr. in a key role on health policy, rooting out federal employees not ‘aligned’ with him, pardoning Jan. 6 insurrectionist rioters and so on. However as I said the piece was quite short. I simply can’t help but wonder how much was edited out because any one of those things could have been delved into in detail.
Oh well. The fact the NYT published it at all is something I guess. We sometimes are seeing news outlets talk not just about Project 2025 but suggesting Trump’s Sgt. Schulze’s “I see NOTHING!” schtick is bullshit. It SHOULD be seen everywhere and every day. Multiple times. Trump has EVERY intention of implementing Project 2025. It wouldn’t be Jared running his transition. Oh hell no. It would be The Heritage Foundation team that has already been picked and was actually already engaged in prep work (before this became politically toxic for Trump) that will handle things.
Rachel Maddow likes to say “Don’t watch what they say. Watch what they do.” Good advice. Still, when it comes to Trump and Project 2025 I think we have a corollary: Don’t listen to what Trump says in the rare instances where his handlers have some control over him, listen to what he says when he feels he’s in front of a friendly audience that loves him and MAGA stuff. That, as I said includes not just crowds at the not all that many this year campaign stops, but also friendly RWNJ interviewers. When Trump feels he’s with/among friends he says what he really thinks:
Trump thinks Project 2025 which would expand Presidential Powers into what HE believes HE should have is a grand idea!
Lips moving = LIE! It really isn’t complex.
He denies but keeps talking about it, simply because he’s a pathological lier.