If you spent any time online during the last election cycle, you couldn't escape it. Project 2025. That 900-page "Mandate for Leadership" became a massive talking point, a sort of political Rorschach test depending on who you asked. Some saw it as a common-sense blueprint to fix a bloated government, while others viewed it as a "how-to" guide for a radical overhaul of American democracy.
Fast forward to January 2026. The dust has settled on the transition, and the question on everyone's mind is pretty simple: is Project 2025 being implemented or was it just a bunch of think-tank white papers that the administration distanced itself from?
Honestly, the answer isn't a simple yes or no. It's more of a "mostly, but with a different name." While the administration often avoids using the specific phrase "Project 2025," the overlap between the document’s goals and the executive orders coming out of the Oval Office is basically a 1-to-1 match in several key sectors.
The Quiet "Cleaning House" of the Federal Workforce
One of the biggest pillars of the Project 2025 plan was something called Schedule F. If you aren't a policy wonk, that sounds incredibly boring. It’s not. It’s huge.
Basically, the idea was to take tens of thousands of career civil servants—people who keep their jobs regardless of who is president—and reclassify them as "at-will" employees. This makes them much easier to fire. In November 2025, the Office of Personnel Management finalized regulations for a new job category now called Schedule Policy/Career.
It’s Schedule F by another name.
The administration argues this is about accountability. They want people in the "deep state" to actually follow the president's policy or get out. On the flip side, unions like the AFGE are currently in a dogfight in federal court, trying to stop what they call "mass firings" at agencies like the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service. As of early 2026, over 15,000 employees have already left these two departments alone.
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Real-World Impacts on Energy and Public Lands
If you want to see where the "Mandate for Leadership" is hitting the ground the hardest, look at the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Project 2025 was very specific about "unleashing" American energy. On his first day, President Trump signed Executive Order 14153, titled "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential." This didn't just suggest drilling; it actively canceled Biden-era environmental restrictions.
Current data shows the administration has initiated nearly 100% of the public land recommendations found in the Project 2025 chapters. This includes:
- Restarting the federal coal leasing program, which officially opened up 13.1 million acres last September.
- A 25% increase in federal logging quotas, often bypassing the usual public comment periods.
- Reducing the royalty rates that oil and gas companies pay to the government.
Basically, if the document said "drill it" or "cut it," the administration is currently doing it.
The Restructuring of Education and DEI
There was a lot of talk about "abolishing" the Department of Education. You can’t actually do that with a pen stroke; you need Congress for that. However, the administration found a workaround that looks a lot like the Project 2025 playbook.
In November 2025, a plan was announced to "redistribute" the agency’s duties. K-12 functions are moving toward the Department of Labor, and higher ed is drifting toward HHS. It’s a slow-motion dismantling.
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Then there’s the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) stuff.
Project 2025 called for a total purge of DEI offices in the military. In January 2025, an executive order did exactly that. Since then, we've seen race-conscious admissions at military academies scrapped and a new "merit-based" task force created to oversee promotions.
What’s Still "In Progress" or Stalled?
It’s not a total sweep. Some parts of the agenda are hitting major speed bumps in the courts.
For instance, the attempt to effectively close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by cutting its funding has been tied up in legal battles. A federal judge recently ruled that the agency must stay funded through at least March 2026, rejecting the administration's argument that they could ignore the agency's unique funding structure.
There’s also the Religious Liberty Commission. While established via executive order in May 2025, its actual power to influence policy is still being debated in the courts.
Breaking Down the Implementation Numbers
| Area of Policy | Status of Implementation (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Public Lands & Energy | Over 80% implemented or in progress |
| Military & DEI | Nearly 100% of recommendations initiated |
| Reproductive Rights | Roughly 40% of goals met via EO and the "OBBBA" Act |
| Civil Service (Schedule F) | Regulations finalized; implementation active but under legal fire |
The "One Big Beautiful Bill" and Planned Parenthood
You might have heard about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This was the massive budget reconciliation law passed in mid-2025. It wasn't just about taxes.
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Project 2025 wanted to defund Planned Parenthood and stop them from getting Medicaid funds. The OBBBA did exactly that for a one-year period. While it’s technically a "temporary" provision, it’s a direct fulfillment of the project's goals.
The administration also took a page out of the playbook by revoking the EMTALA guidance. That’s the rule that required hospitals to provide emergency abortions even in states with bans. In June 2025, the administration rescinded that guidance, creating a massive wave of confusion for doctors in places like Texas and Idaho.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
Whether you support these changes or find them alarming, the reality is that the "blueprint" is no longer just a PDF on a website. It is the active policy of the United States.
Watch the "DOGE" (Department of Government Efficiency). Led by high-profile figures, this group is the primary vehicle for the "efficiency" goals of Project 2025. They are currently looking at every single federal grant and contract. If you work for a non-profit or a company with federal contracts, expect a "justification" audit soon.
Monitor the Federal Courts. The courts are currently the only real brake on this implementation. Cases like National Urban League v. Trump are the front lines. If the courts rule in favor of the administration's use of Schedule F, the character of the federal government will change permanently.
Check State-Level Responses. In response to the federal shift, several "blue" states are passing their own versions of environmental and labor protections. If you're in a state like California or New York, your daily life might be shielded from some of these federal rollbacks—at least for now.
The bottom line is that the administration doesn't need to call it "Project 2025" for it to be real. By looking at the executive orders and the 2025 budget, it's clear the plan is very much in the "delivery" phase. Keep an eye on the Schedule Policy/Career rollout in late 2026; that will be the moment we see if the "Deep State" actually gets dismantled or if the legal system holds the line.
To stay ahead of these changes, you can track the Federal Register for new "Schedule Policy/Career" job postings and monitor the "Federal Policy Watch" trackers provided by organizations like the Economic Policy Institute or the Heritage Foundation’s own updates. Knowing which specific agency rules are being rescinded in your industry is the best way to prepare for the regulatory shifts coming throughout 2026.