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Fact check: What is Project 2025

Checked on July 18, 2025

1. Summary of the results

Project 2025 is a comprehensive 900-page federal policy agenda and blueprint authored by former Trump administration officials in partnership with The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank [1]. The document serves as a detailed policy framework that proposes a radical restructuring of the executive branch and aims to impose a conservative agenda across various aspects of American life [1].

The project's core proposals include:

  • Expanding presidential power and control over the federal bureaucracy [2]
  • Dismantling the administrative state and independent agencies [2]
  • Replacing expert civil servants with political loyalists [3]
  • Restoring the family as the centerpiece of American life, with men as breadwinners and women as caregivers [2] [4]
  • Defending national sovereignty and borders [2]
  • Weaponizing the Department of Justice for political purposes [3]

The agenda is described as prioritizing fundamentalist Christian principles and represents a long-term strategy to change the structure of society and government over decades [4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal significant political and ideological divisions regarding Project 2025's characterization:

Conservative perspective benefits:

  • The Heritage Foundation and former Trump administration officials benefit from promoting this agenda as necessary government reform [1]
  • Far-right politicians, judges, and corporations would gain more control over Americans' lives under these proposals [3]

Opposition perspective:

  • The American Civil Liberties Union characterizes it as a threat to civil liberties [1]
  • Critics describe it as an "authoritarian playbook" that would destroy the system of checks and balances and create an "imperial presidency" [3]

Trump's relationship to the project presents conflicting narratives:

  • The project's authors have close ties to President Trump [5]
  • However, Trump has claimed not to be connected to the project despite these documented ties [5]

The project also includes specific policy reforms for media, technology, and communications that could significantly impact information flow and digital rights [6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question "what is Project 2025" is neutral and factual - it contains no inherent misinformation or bias. It's a straightforward informational query seeking to understand a specific policy document.

However, the sources themselves demonstrate clear ideological positioning:

  • Sources from organizations like the ACLU frame Project 2025 negatively as "radical" and "authoritarian" [1] [3]
  • The characterization varies significantly depending on the source's political alignment
  • The disconnect between Trump's public disavowal and his documented ties to the project's authors suggests potential political messaging strategy rather than factual accuracy [5]
Want to dive deeper?
What are the main initiatives of Project 2025?
How does Project 2025 plan to achieve its goals by 2025?
What are the potential implications of Project 2025 on global policies?