A year ago, everyone was arguing about a 920-page book called "Mandate for Leadership." People called it Project 2025. Some folks said it was a total fabrication, others said it was the literal blueprint for the future of the country. Now that we’re sitting here in early 2026, we don't have to guess anymore. We can just look at the data.
How much of Project 2025 has been implemented?
Honestly, it depends on who you ask and what specific "pillar" of the plan you're looking at. If you’re tracking environmental policy or reproductive rights, the answer is "a lot." If you're looking at more complex legislative overhauls, things have been a bit slower. Basically, the Trump administration has been moving at breakneck speed in some areas while hitting roadblocks in others.
The Reality of the Numbers
According to recent trackers from groups like PBS News and Reproductive Freedom for All, roughly half of the goals laid out in that massive document have already been set in motion or fully completed as of January 2026.
That is a staggering pace for any administration.
When you dig into the specifics, like public lands, the numbers get even higher. The Center for Western Priorities recently noted that over 80 percent of actions pertaining to public lands recommended by Project 2025 have been implemented or are currently underway.
It’s not just a coincidence. Many of the people who wrote the chapters in that book are now the ones running the agencies. Russell Vought, a key architect of the project, is back at the Office of Management and Budget. Stephen Miller is still pulling the strings on immigration. When the guy who wrote the plan is the guy holding the pen, stuff gets done fast.
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Reproductive Rights and the "One Big Beautiful Bill"
One of the most intense areas of focus has been reproductive health. This wasn't just about executive orders; it was about the money. In July 2025, the GOP-led Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
What did it do?
Well, it basically nuked federal funding for Planned Parenthood for a year. It prohibited them from receiving Medicaid funds, even for things that aren't abortions, like cancer screenings or birth control. A federal appeals court gave it the green light in September. Since then, Planned Parenthood has estimated that nearly a third of its clinics could close.
But wait, there's more. The administration also:
- Rescinded EMTALA guidance: This was the rule that required hospitals to provide emergency abortions if the mother’s life was at risk. They dropped it in June 2025.
- Title X cuts: In April, they suddenly pulled funding for 22 grants that provided family planning to low-income people.
- Pardoned FACE Act violators: In his first month, Trump pardoned 23 people who had been convicted of targeting abortion clinics.
The Military and "DEI"
If you remember the "culture war" sections of Project 2025, those have been a top priority. On day one, an executive order was signed to eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the military.
It wasn't just a memo. They actually fired high-ranking people of color and women within the first 100 days to "restructure" leadership. Military academies were told to stop using race-conscious admissions immediately.
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Transgender service members were hit especially hard. In January 2025, an executive order listed gender dysphoria as a disqualifying medical condition for service. By May, the Pentagon stopped all funding for gender-affirming care, including hormone treatments that were already in progress.
Drastic Changes in Immigration
The numbers coming out of 2025 are wild. For the first time in over 50 years, net migration to the United States was actually negative.
The Brookings Institution estimates that between 10,000 and 295,000 more people left the country than entered it in 2025. This aligns perfectly with Project 2025’s call for mass deportations and "sand in the gears" of the legal immigration system.
They expanded travel bans, increased paperwork requirements, and ramped up enforcement activity at the border. It’s had a real effect on the economy, too. Job growth has slowed down significantly because there just aren't as many people entering the workforce.
Public Lands and "Unleashing" Energy
If you like the outdoors, 2025 was a tough year. The administration has been "unleashing" fossil fuel production like never before.
They restarted federal coal leasing in April, opening up over 13 million acres of public land. In Alaska, an executive order signed on the first day—EO 14153—basically greenlit every single recommendation Project 2025 had for the state. This includes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and expanding the Willow project.
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The "30 by 30" goal (protecting 30% of U.S. lands by 2030)? Gone.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of people think that because Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 during the campaign, he isn't following it. But you've gotta look at the personnel.
The Heritage Foundation spent $22 million building a database of loyalists to staff the government. They learned from the first term. This time, they didn't want "adults in the room" slowing things down. They wanted people who were ready to go on noon of January 20th.
And that's exactly what happened.
Actionable Insights: What to Watch Next
We are only one year into a four-year term. If nearly 50% of the plan is already in motion, the next three years are going to be a whirlwind.
Here is what you should be keeping an eye on:
- Schedule F: Watch for the reclassification of civil service workers. If they turn thousands of non-partisan experts into political appointees, the government changes forever.
- The Comstock Act: There is a lot of talk about using this 19th-century law to ban the mailing of abortion pills nationwide. It hasn't happened yet, but it’s in the book.
- Department of Education: Project 2025 wants to abolish it. So far, it's still standing, but the budget cuts are starting to bite.
If you want to stay informed, don't just read the headlines. Look at the Executive Orders being published in the Federal Register. That’s where the real work happens, often far away from the cameras and the shouting on cable news. You can track them yourself at FederalRegister.gov.
The biggest takeaway? Project 2025 isn't a "threat" or a "theory" anymore. It's the current policy of the United States government.