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Trump Implements Over Half of Heritage’s Project 2025 Blueprint in Second Term

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  • Comedian Kenan Thompson held an oversized copy of Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership as a prop while addressing the Democratic National Convention during the election campaign
    Comedian Kenan Thompson held an oversized copy of Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership as a prop while addressing the Democratic National Convention during the election campaign
    Image: BBC
    Comedian Kenan Thompson held an oversized copy of Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership as a prop while addressing the Democratic National Convention during the election campaign (Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Democrats campaigned heavily against the document during the 2024 election
    Democrats campaigned heavily against the document during the 2024 election
    Image: BBC
    Democrats campaigned heavily against the document during the 2024 election (Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, speaks with reporters at the US Capitol in July
    Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, speaks with reporters at the US Capitol in July
    Image: BBC
    Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, speaks with reporters at the US Capitol in July (Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Paul Dans says the project he spearheaded is now 'gospel' on the right of American politics
    Paul Dans says the project he spearheaded is now 'gospel' on the right of American politics
    Image: BBC
    Paul Dans says the project he spearheaded is now 'gospel' on the right of American politics (Getty Images) Source Full size

Project 2025 Blueprint Provides Ultra‑Conservative Agenda The Heritage Foundation released a 900‑page “Mandate for Leadership” in April 2023, outlining expanded presidential authority, federal workforce cuts and a conservative social vision, before the 2024 election when the GOP nominee was still unknown[1].

Trump Distanced Himself From Blueprint Prior to Election In 2023 Trump told reporters he “had no idea who is behind it,” labeling many proposals “ridiculous and abysmal,” in an effort to separate himself from the plan amid Democratic criticism[1].

More Than Half of Blueprint Recommendations Enacted Analyses by the Center for Progressive Reform and an independent tracker estimate that 53 % and 51 % respectively of Project 2025’s recommendations have been initiated or completed during Trump’s first year, covering immigration crackdowns and agency restructurings[1].

Immigration Actions Directly Replicate Blueprint Sections The administration has authorized military involvement at the border, removed protected enforcement zones, increased workplace sweeps for undocumented workers and expanded detention facilities, all matching the immigration strategies detailed in Project 2025[1].

Foreign‑Policy Moves Echo Venezuela Chapter Earlier this year the United States moved to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and issued statements about containing “Venezuela’s Communism,” language that mirrors the blueprint’s South‑American security threat chapter[1].

Former Blueprint Architects Occupy Senior Administration Posts Key staff who helped craft Project 2025 now hold senior roles: CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FCC chair Brendan Carr, “border tsar” Tom Homan, SEC chair Paul Atkins, trade adviser Peter Navarro and budget chief Russell Vought, linking the plan directly to policy execution[1].

Sources

Timeline

Apr 2023 – Heritage Foundation publishes the 900‑page Project 2025 “Mandate for Leadership,” outlining an ultra‑conservative agenda to expand presidential power, cut the federal workforce, and impose a conservative social vision, creating a policy template that later guides Trump’s executive actions. [1]

2023 (later) – President Trump publicly disavows the plan, saying he “had no idea who is behind it” and calling many proposals “ridiculous and abysmal,” in an effort to distance himself from the blueprint amid Democratic criticism. [1]

Nov 2024 – The Project 2025 document circulates before the presidential election, influencing GOP discourse even though the party’s nominee remains undecided at the time. [1]

Dec 9 2025 – Heritage releases Project 2026, a new 900‑plus‑page “Mandate for Leadership” that expands nine priority areas—countering China, deregulation, border security, election integrity, education freedom, digital sovereignty, family, deep‑state reform, and energy—while explicitly building on the 2025 framework. [2]

Jan 9 2026 – Heritage unveils a “marriage bootcamp” and other family‑policy proposals, urging a federal program to prepare cohabitating couples for marriage, a universal day of rest, and restrictions on IVF outside marriage; Vice President for Economic and Domestic Policy Roger Severino declares the government must “clear the weeds” and make marriage a federal priority. [3]

Jan 2026 – The marriage‑policy plan signals Heritage’s shift from small‑government roots to a broader populist‑right platform linked to Project 2025, and notes that the Trump administration already reduces IVF costs and issues fertility‑benefits guidance in its second term. [3]

Feb 22 2026 – Independent trackers estimate that 53% and 51% of Project 2025 recommendations are already initiated or completed, including military involvement at the border, removal of protected enforcement zones, expanded workplace sweeps, and a U.S. push to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, showing that Trump’s second‑term policies mirror the 2025 blueprint. [1]

2026 (midterm year) – Heritage’s Project 2026 implementation hinges on congressional cooperation and faces likely legal challenges, setting the stage for policy battles throughout the 2026 midterm election cycle. [2]

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