The conservative Heritage Foundation is preparing for a second Trump Presidency and a chance to fix what it sees as the biggest problems in Washington, DC. In the organization’s crosshairs is the “deep state” bureaucracy, which many on the political right believe is a sinister but powerful arm of government that is not subject to accountability or election but, in many respects, yields more power than politicians.
The Heritage Foundation has a 1,000-page document prepared for its “army” of Americans who want to take down the current system and “flood the zone with conservatives.”
Project 2025 is the comprehensive plan put forward by the Foundation and Paul Dans, director of the Presidential Transition Project, says it is a clarion call to Americans who object to the nation’s trajectory and want to re-route. He said the moment has come for people to claim their “lifetime moment to serve.”
The core of the proposals is to cut federal spending and reduce the size of federal departments, reshaping national governance and replacing those who impede a conservative agenda on Capitol Hill. They want a second Trump team to be more prepared than the first, and take the lessons learned in term one into the future.
Some departments are more likely to come under the spotlight than others, and since the last Trump White House, distrust in the Department of Justice and the FBI has skyrocketed. In the first GOP primary debate, some candidates expressed disdain for both organizations, while others said they would target the Department of Education.
The philosophy of the Heritage Foundation proposal is to shift away from consensus-driven Congressional politics and further toward an executive-led agenda where the President calls the shots.
Former Trump official John McEntee agrees with the Foundation’s overall approach and said in a second Trump administration, the government would be “playing hardball” with Congress. However, Philip Wallach from the American Enterprise Institute argues that the conservative groups are overestimating the President’s powers.
