Politics is usually a game of "he said, she said," but the saga between Donald Trump and Project 2025 is on a whole different level. Honestly, if you followed the 2024 campaign, you probably remember the former president practically doing backflips to distance himself from that 900-page "Mandate for Leadership." He called some of its ideas "abysmal." He claimed he had no clue who was behind it.
Fast forward to 2026, and the vibe has changed completely.
The "denial" phase is basically over. Now that we’re well into his second term, the distance between the Trump administration and the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint has shrunk to almost zero. It’s not just about what he said on Truth Social anymore; it’s about what’s actually happening in the Oval Office.
The Endorsement That Wasn't (But Then Was)
For a long time, the official line was a hard no. During the September 2024 debate with Kamala Harris, Trump was adamant. "I haven't read it. I don't want to read it," he told millions of viewers. But you've gotta look at the people, not just the talking points.
The "architects" of Project 2025 weren't strangers. They were his inner circle. We’re talking about Russell Vought, John McEntee, and Stephen Miller. When Trump started filling his 2025 cabinet, it looked like a "Who’s Who" of the Project 2025 contributor list.
By late 2025, during a heated battle over a government shutdown, the mask sort of slipped. Reports from the Associated Press and PBS Newshour noted that Trump stopped the distancing act. Instead, he began openly embracing the "Mandate" as a tool to slash the federal workforce. It wasn't a formal "I endorse this book" press conference, but it was a functional endorsement through hiring and policy.
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What’s Actually Been Implemented?
If you're wondering if this is just political drama, the data says otherwise. By January 2026, trackers from groups like the Center for Western Priorities and various labor unions showed a staggering trend.
- Public Lands: The administration has moved in lockstep with the plan, implementing roughly 80% of the recommended actions for public lands.
- The Military: In early 2025, Trump issued executive orders disqualifying people with gender dysphoria from service—a specific Project 2025 goal.
- Energy: On Day One, he signed the "Unleashing American Energy" order. It didn't just sound like Project 2025; it practically quoted the "Energy Dominance" section word-for-word.
It’s kinda wild to see a president go from "I don't know them" to "here is their entire policy platform as an Executive Order" in less than a year. But that's the reality of the current Washington landscape.
The Schedule F Factor
One of the biggest "scares" during the election was the idea of Schedule F. This was the plan to reclassify tens of thousands of civil servants as political appointees so they could be fired and replaced with loyalists.
Project 2025 obsessed over this. And guess what? The administration made it a priority. By mid-2025, the effort to "gut the administrative state" was in full swing. This is probably the most significant way Trump endorses Project 2025 in practice. By changing who runs the government, he ensures the policy recommendations in that 900-page book actually get done.
Why the "Distancing" Happened in the First Place
You might ask: if he liked the ideas, why lie about it in 2024?
The answer is simple: the polls were brutal. Only about 7% of Republicans in some surveys actually liked the plan when they heard the specifics. It was a political liability. The "Christian Nationalist" labels and the talk of banning abortion medication (via the Comstock Act) were scaring off moderate voters.
Trump is a salesman. He knew the brand "Project 2025" was toxic even if he liked the product inside. Once the election was won, the need for that "brand protection" vanished.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of folks think Project 2025 is a law. It isn't. It's a suggestion box.
The misconception is that Trump must do what the Heritage Foundation says. He doesn't. But when you look at the 2026 budget proposals and the recent moves by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the "suggestions" are being taken very seriously.
Practical Steps for Staying Informed
The news moves fast, and the 2026 midterms are already casting a shadow. If you want to keep track of how much more of this agenda gets checked off, here’s how to do it:
- Watch the Personnel: Keep an eye on sub-cabinet appointments. The "deputies" are often the ones who actually wrote the Project 2025 chapters.
- Follow the Federal Register: This is where the real work happens. Executive orders and "notices of proposed rulemaking" tell you more than a Trump rally ever will.
- Monitor State-Level Pushback: Governors in blue and purple states are currently the main "checks" on this agenda, using lawsuits to stall things like the "Show Your Papers" voting requirements.
The relationship between the President and the Heritage Foundation is no longer a secret or a "conspiracy theory." It's the standard operating procedure for the current administration. Whether you love it or hate it, the "Mandate for Leadership" is no longer just a book on a shelf—it's the blueprint for the country's direction heading into the late 2020s.