At the BET Awards on Sunday (June 30), Taraji P. Henson sparked political talk at least twice. The first time was when she appeared alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in a public service announcement dedicated to “voting,” and the second time was when she mentioned Project 2025. The phrase had been trending on social media for days before Taraji was named.
“Plan 2025, look it up!” Here it is. And it’s scary: https://t.co/aQXWqtLRIY https://t.co/LHYMSOyUfE
— Valerie Day (@valerieday) July 2, 2024
However, the actress’s comments about Project 2025 have sparked further curiosity, especially after a week of unexpected political moves from the Supreme Court. So, what exactly is it? Who’s behind this “project,” and what does it predict? Read on to find out all the facts, according to the Associated Press.
What is Project 2025?
AP News that Project 2025 is a massive expansion of presidential power and a plan to fire up to 50,000 government employees and replace them with Donald Trump loyalists. In addition, the plan seeks to dismantle several parts of the federal government.
The 1,000-page Project 2025 handbook calls for sweeping changes in government, including repealing protections for the LGBTQ community and bringing Christianity deeper into society.
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It is being pioneered and supported by the organization. Heritage Fund and its chairman, Kevin Roberts. Roberts said in a podcast released this week that the Republican “in the process of taking back this country.”
“We are in the midst of a second American Revolution, one that will be bloodless if the left allows it,” said Kevin Roberts.
A spokesperson for Project 2025 has stated that it is not affiliated with any specific candidate or campaign. Instead, the representative describes the project as a “a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups supporting policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president.”
However, several Project 2025 participants are former senior administration officials. The project director is Paul Dans, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Trump. Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, wrote one of the chapters. John McEntee, former director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel in the Trump administration, is a senior adviser.
Here’s How Donald Trump Reacted to the Transition Plan
On Friday (July 5), Donald Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 via his social media site.
“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump wrote. “I don’t know who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they say, and some of the things they say are absolutely ridiculous and terrible. Whatever they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
Trump has outlined his own plans to rebuild the government if he wins a second term, including orchestrating the largest deportation campaign in US history and imposing tariffs on all imports. His campaign has previously warned foreign allies not to pose as spokespeople for the former president and has suggested that their pending transition efforts are futile.
Additionally, as previously reported, a majority of the justices ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution on Monday (July 1). The move comes just weeks after former President Trump convicted on 34 counts at the Hush Money trial in New York.
The ruling appears to clear the way for his campaign, just days after the first presidential debate with President Biden. But Trump’s election-related allegations in Washington, DC, may not go anywhere for now, especially before the November polls open.
RELATED: BREAKING NEWS! Supreme Court Rules Former Presidents Have Broad Immunity After Trump’s Conviction
Associated Press staff writers Adriana Gomez Licon and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
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