Democrat Reveals 'Task Force' Strategy to Thwart Project 2025

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A leading Democrat has revealed a task force strategy to thwart the conservative initiative Project 2025, which he called "a sweeping attack on our democracy."

Developed by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, Project 2025 plans to install Republican loyalists at every level of the U.S. federal government if former President Donald Trump is reelected in November.

A 900-page document that has contributions from more than 30 authors and 50 conservative-leaning campaign groups, think tanks, educational institutions and publications said Project 2025 would also repeal policies of the previous administration within the first six months of a second Trump administration, including environmental regulations and social policies.

Speaking in an interview with attorney Joyce Vance on her Civil Discourse Substack, California Representative Jared Huffman explained how Democrats would respond to the project, which he called "radical and destructive."

Huffman said the Democratic Party had created a 15-member task force with leaders from different groups in the House Democratic Caucus. He said these leaders would work with experts from more than a dozen advocacy groups to create communications materials and briefing events to share messages contradicting those of the initiative.

Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, in Washington, D.C., on April 12, 2023. Project 2025 was developed by the conservative think tank to make changes to the U.S. federal government. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

"Project 2025 is a sweeping attack on our democracy, our fundamental freedoms, our health, social justice, the livability of our planet, and a lot more," Huffman said. "If I had to pick a 'biggest' concern, I would point to the way it aims to systematically dismantle our democratic checks and balances and consolidate unprecedented power in a second Trump presidency."

He continued: "It's truly a roadmap to make Trump, already an aspiring dictator, into a real one, and to impose a radical social/religious order on all of us. It exudes an 'any means necessary' philosophy, including the explicit embrace of dystopic authoritarian measures like domestic military deployments, detention camps, mass deportations, an unprecedented political purge of the federal workforce, political weaponization of federal law enforcement, and more. These are my greatest concerns because they would end American democracy as we know it."

On Wednesday, Kevin Roberts, the leader of the Heritage Foundation, appeared on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast and likened the project to a "second American Revolution."

"In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. We're in the process of taking this country back," Roberts said. "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless, if the left allows it to be."

Critics have said Project 2025 will limit democracy and social welfare, while supporters say it is necessary to streamline the federal government and reduce spending.

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About the writer

Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and she is particularly interested in the impact of social policy decisions on people as well as the finances of political campaigns, corruption, foreign policy, democratic processes and more. Prior to joining Newsweek, she covered U.K. politics extensively. Kate joined Newsweek in 2023 from The Independent and has also been published in multiple publications including The Times and the Daily Mail. She has a B.A. in History from the University of Oxford and an M.A. in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London.

Languages: English.

You can get in touch with Kate by emailing k.plummer@newsweek.com, or by following her on X at @kateeplummer.


Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more