Politics moves fast, but the 2024 campaign cycle left us with some of the stickiest questions in recent memory. If you spent any time on social media or watching the news, you definitely saw it. Project 2025. That 922-page "Mandate for Leadership" became a massive flashpoint.
People were asking one thing over and over: Did Trump actually denounce Project 2025?
Well, yes. And also... no. It’s complicated.
Honestly, the way Donald Trump handled the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint was a masterclass in "distancing without detaching." Depending on which week of the campaign you were looking at, you might have heard him call it "abysmal" or seen him appoint its authors to his top cabinet positions. Let's break down the actual timeline of what he said and, more importantly, what he did.
The Big Denouement: What Trump Said on Record
When the heat started getting too high in the summer of 2024, Trump went on a bit of a disavowal spree. He took to Truth Social and the debate stage to put as much daylight as possible between himself and the document.
His most famous quote came during the September 10, 2024, debate against Kamala Harris. He looked right at the camera and said, "I have nothing to do with Project 2025. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it purposely. I'm not going to read it."
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He wasn't just being quiet about it. He was aggressive. He called some of the ideas in there "seriously extreme" and "ridiculous." His campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, were even blunter. They issued a warning to any outside groups—including Heritage—that trying to "misrepresent their influence" with the president "will not end well for you."
Basically, they told the authors to back off.
Why the sudden "I don't know them" vibe?
Simple: Polling. The project had become a massive liability. Democrats were using it as a boogeyman to scare moderate voters. Trump, ever the populist, saw the numbers. He knew that if he was tied to some of the more controversial stuff—like gutting the Department of Education or the 19th-century Comstock Act—it could cost him the election. So, he did what he does best. He distanced himself.
The Connection Nobody Could Ignore
Here’s where it gets kinda messy. While Trump was saying he didn't know who was behind the project, a CNN report found that at least 140 people who worked in his first administration had a hand in writing it.
We aren't talking about low-level interns.
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We’re talking about Russ Vought, his former OMB Director. We're talking about John Ratcliffe, his former Director of National Intelligence. These were his "top guys." It’s hard to claim you don't know what a group is doing when your former Cabinet secretaries are the ones holding the pens.
The "Government in Waiting"
Think of Project 2025 not as a set of suggestions, but as a "personnel is policy" engine. They spent $22 million building a database of 20,000 loyalists. The goal was to make sure that on Day 1 of a second term, Trump didn't have the "disloyal" staff issues he complained about in 2017.
What Happened After He Won?
This is the part that most people miss because the news cycle has moved on to 2026. Once the 2024 election was over, the "denouncing" part mostly stopped.
By January 2025, the distancing act was over. Trump started appointing the very architects of Project 2025 to key roles.
- Russ Vought (a key Project 2025 leader) was nominated as Policy Director for the RNC.
- Tom Homan (a contributor) became the Border Czar.
- Brendan Carr (who wrote the FCC chapter) was named FCC Chairman.
An analysis by TIME magazine found that within his first week back in office in 2025, nearly two-thirds of Trump's executive actions "mirror or partially mirror" the proposals found in the Mandate for Leadership. He didn't just read the book; he started checking off the boxes.
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The 2025 "Embrace"
As of late 2025 and early 2026, Trump has been much more open about the partnership. During the government shutdown fights of late 2025, he even posted on social media about meeting with Russ Vought, specifically calling him "he of PROJECT 2025 Fame," to discuss which "Democrat Agencies" should be cut.
He basically admitted the project was a useful tool for his "Agenda 47."
Actionable Insights: How to Read the Noise
If you’re trying to figure out where the truth lies, you have to look at the difference between campaign rhetoric and governing reality.
- Watch the Personnel: Don't listen to what a candidate says about a group; watch who they hire from it. If the authors of a document are running the agencies, the document is the playbook.
- Check the Overlap: Use resources like the PBS "Project 2025 Tracker" to see which executive orders match the handbook.
- Understand the "Denial": In modern politics, a "denial" often just means "this is not my official campaign platform." It doesn't mean the candidate disagrees with the ideas.
The bottom line? Trump denounced Project 2025 to win an election. He implemented Project 2025 to run the government. Both things can be—and are—true.
To stay informed on how these policies are affecting federal agencies today, keep an eye on the official Federal Register for new Executive Orders and compare them against the "Mandate for Leadership" chapters relevant to each department.