Project 2025 is no longer a distant threat; it’s a governing document. As you read this, the Donald Trump transition team has already announced their picks for critical federal positions — and it’s full of ideological extremists who will help him implement his dangerous vision.
Using our vast and effective opposition research apparatus, American Bridge 21st Century is prepared to ensure that none of these ideologues are able to escape scrutiny and that Americans are constantly reminded about the extremist actions taken by the Trump Administration.
The work will encompass three major categories:
Deep vetting of Trump’s nominees to government positions.
The American people deserve to know exactly to whom Donald Trump is delegating federal authority, what they believe, and what they’ve done. If they decide to hire another 24-year-old campaign staffer to help run the government’s drug policy office, we’ll make sure Americans know. And we have years of opposition research and tracking video on Republicans who have already been hailed as new cabinet members, from Kristi Noem to Marco Rubio, which will be immediately available to those covering the new administration.
Realtime scrutiny of the Trump Administration’s use of government power.
From the White House to the executive branch agencies, the day-to-day decisions of the first Trump Administration – from Trump’s personal quid pro quo with China to his administration’s tracking of menstrual cycles – were driven by extremism and self-interest. It will be the same in his second. The American people deserve to know what these extremists are up to, and American Bridge’s investigative capacity will be turned over to monitoring these actions.
Holding Trump’s allies accountable.
We’re also beginning our work to fight fascism and anti-democratic efforts by what will be an invigorated Trump Administration by leveraging opposition research into electing Democratic governors, state legislators and state Supreme Court judges in 2025, and winning the midterms — particularly the U.S. House, where opposition research efforts in 2024 ensured that Democrats are only down a few seats — in 2026.
Since 2015, American Bridge has monitored staff, donors, and others in Trump’s orbit. In the summer of 2024, we launched a database, Trump’s Orbit, of likely Trump appointees filled with damaging details and connections to foreign adversaries. That website will be regularly updated with new information about Trump’s picks.
Using an array of tactics, we’ll share our opposition research on potential appointees with the press, voters, key congressional members, the targets themselves, and U.S. Senators tasked with confirming appointees.
Communications Director Brandon Weathersby and Research Director Chad Smith will lead our efforts in the Trump War Room. Weathersby is a veteran communicator based in Wisconsin who spent the last two years monitoring and tracking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Smith is a seasoned political researcher based in Florida who tracked nominees, spending, and staffing decisions during the first Trump Administration.
Published: Nov 15, 2024