Early Trump actions, Project 2025 ‘have a lot in common,' former chief says
The former leader of Project 2025 says the initial actions from the Trump administration aligns pretty closely with the conservative Heritage Foundation's vision for the president's return to the White House.
Paul Dans, who led the project until he resigned as leader in July amid backlash to many of the proposals, told Politico in an interview published Sunday that he's very pleased with President Trump's agenda so far.
'I'm saying that directionally, they have a lot in common, but so do great minds,' Dans said. 'We had hoped, those of us who worked putting together Project 2025, that the next conservative president would seize the day, but Trump is seizing every minute of every hour.'
Project 2025 was a key point of attack for Democrats on Trump throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, with liberals tying him to the project as many former Trump staffers were involved in crafting it. Trump repeatedly denied any involvement in the project and said he didn't know much about it.
The project comprised conservative organizations and Trump allies and featured a 900-page outline on a wide range of policies for the potential second Trump administration.
An analysis from Time magazine found almost two-thirds of the initial executive orders that Trump issued in his first days back in office at least somewhat mirrored proposals from Project 2025, and reports have noted similarities in scaling back the federal workforce, going after diversity, equity and inclusion programs and moving to ban gender-affirming care for minors, all of which Trump discussed on the campaign trail.
Dans told Politico that Trump told the truth when he said he wasn't involved in the project, as it was completed independent of him and for the conservative movement to say what they believe in.
He said the agenda of Project 2025 goes back beyond Trump, to the foundation of the Progressive Era ushered in by former Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt.
'The entire artifice of the federal government had been built over the last 100 years in essentially a very anti-democratic manner,' he said.
Dans said Project 2025 was caught in a 'maelstrom of misinformation' as the left decided to go 'all in' on attacking it, leading to his resignation. But when asked if the Trump administration was falling short or diverging from his original vision for the project, Dans said 'It's actually way beyond my wildest dreams.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
GOP Rep.: The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill—and What Democrats Don't Want You to Know
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democrats have spent weeks fearmongering about so-called cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Let's be clear: those talking points are false, and they know it. What this bill actually does is protect and preserve these critical safety net programs for the people they were designed to serve—pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. It does so by taking on the real problem: waste, fraud, and abuse that have run rampant in our federal health programs for decades. The fact is, we are not cutting benefits for people who truly need them. We are ensuring that only those who are legal, eligible, and truly unable to work are receiving taxpayer-funded assistance. It is not compassionate to keep a broken system running. It is irresponsible and unsustainable. United States Capitol complex is pictured. United States Capitol complex is pictured. Getty Images Consider this: over 1.4 million illegal immigrants are receiving taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits. That's not just wrong—it's dangerous. In some cases, these individuals are even on federal terror watch lists. Illegal immigrants with serious criminal records and links to terrorism have been receiving Medicaid. The One Big Beautiful Bill puts a stop to that. In addition to that, another 1.2 million people are enrolled in Medicaid despite being ineligible, and 4.8 million able-bodied adults without dependents are receiving full benefits with no requirement to work, volunteer, or pursue education or job training. Meanwhile, we hear from struggling families who actually qualify—disabled individuals, children, low-income seniors, pregnant women—who face delays and denials because Medicaid is being flooded by those who shouldn't be on it. Let's be honest: if you're fighting to protect benefits for people who are illegal, ineligible, or able to work and simply choose not to, you're not fighting for the vulnerable—you're fighting to protect the status quo of waste, fraud, and abuse. This bill restores common sense. It requires able-bodied adults to engage in 20 hours of work, job training, volunteering, or education each week in order to remain eligible for Medicaid. That's not radical—that's responsible. We also reduce federal funds to states that knowingly use Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants, like California, which plans to spend nearly $10 billion subsidizing health care for undocumented individuals using federal dollars. The One Big Beautiful Bill ends payments made for dead people and duplicate enrollees. One audit found over $4.3 billion in duplicate payments made to health insurers for just these cases. It also rolls back Biden-era rules that blocked states from removing ineligible individuals from their Medicaid rolls and imposed unrealistic mandates on nursing homes—mandates that would've forced 80 percent of facilities nationwide to shut down due to staffing requirements they simply cannot meet. The bill also improves access to care by increasing transparency in pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and cracking down on spread pricing schemes that, according to the FTC, cost Americans $7.3 billion in excess revenue in 2024 alone. This means lower drug prices and better access to medications, especially for seniors. We are bringing back accountability. We are making sure resources go to those who truly need them—not to those exploiting the system. The One Big Beautiful Bill is not about taking care—it's about fixing a broken system and saving it for the next generation. Democrats can keep shouting their talking points, but the facts are on our side. This is a bill that puts the American people first—one that prioritizes working families, protects the most vulnerable, and stops Washington from wasting your money. That's not extreme. That's leadership. Congresswoman Erin Houchin represents Indiana's 9th District and serves on the House Rules, Budget, and Energy & Commerce Committees. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
New York Post
8 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump speaks with Putin, says ‘not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace' with Ukraine
WASHINGTON — President Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, saying it was 'not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace' between Russia and Ukraine. 'We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides,' Trump announced after the 75-minute talk with the Kremlin tyrant. 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.' Trump had a phone call with Vladimir Putin after Ukraine's attack on Russian subs in Russia's far east. AP The two also spoke about Iran, during which Putin suggested that Russia could potentially get involved in sealing a revised nuclear deal with Tehran. 'I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement,' Trump wrote. 'President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion. It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!'
CNN
11 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump says Putin told him in phone call he will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attacks
President Donald Trump said he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, but that the conversation would not yield an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. The call came after an audacious Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airfields over the weekend. Trump said he discussed the matter with Putin in their 75-minute phone call. 'We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.' 'President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,' he went on. Trump said he also discussed Iran with Putin as he works to complete a nuclear agreement with Tehran. 'We also discussed Iran, and the fact that time is running out on Iran's decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!' he wrote. 'I stated to President Putin that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and, on this, I believe that we were in agreement.' He said Putin would likely join discussions with Iran. 'President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion. It is my opinion that Iran has been slowwalking their decision on this very important matter, and we will need a definitive answer in a very short period of time!' Trump wrote. This is a breaking story and will be updated.
