New reporting from Newsweek revealed at least 31 individuals, listed as either contributors, authors, instructors, or founders of advisory board members of Project 2025, have either been nominated, designated, appointed, or confirmed to positions in Trump’s second administration.
On the campaign trail, Trump lied and said he had nothing to do with Project 2025 and didn’t know anything about the organization despite at least 140 staffers from his first administration playing a role in its creation. Now, the very people who helped write one of the most extreme policy playbooks in history are in charge of cementing a dangerous, far-right agenda at the highest levels of government.
According to Newsweek’s analysis, of the 31 individuals, seven were in or nominated to serve in positions at the President’s Executive Office. Five others were at the Department of State; four at the Department of Defense; three each at the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation; two each at the Department of Veterans Affairs and Federal Communications Commission; and one each at the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Securities and Exchange Commission and Small Business Administration.
During his first term in office, Donald Trump embraced and implemented 64% of the Heritage Foundation’s policy recommendations, including cutting child nutrition programs, ending cost-sharing reduction payments to Affordable Care Act recipients, slashing the Justice Department, and withdrawing from the World Health Organization in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expert analysis indicates the early actions of Trump’s first term align with the Project 2025 agenda.
Key figures in the Trump Administration with ties to Project 2025 are highlighted on American Bridge 21st Century’s MAGAFiles website, complete with detailed research on their extreme ideological leanings, including:
- Michael Anton, a radical appointee to Trump’s State Department who supports one-man authoritarian rule and defended the far-right hate group Proud Boys.
- Paul Atkins, a billionaire friend of Trump’s who was picked to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, protect billionaires, and oppose regulations against big banks.
- Brendan Carr, Trump’s ultra-partisan choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission and attack dog against independent journalism.
- Thomas Homan, Trump’s “Border Czar” best known for developing and implementing family separation immigration policies.
- Peter Navarro, Trump’s choice to serve as Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing is a convicted felon best known for pushing false claims about the 2020 election and trying to force Mike Pence to overturn the election results illegally.
- John Ratcliffe, Trump’s choice to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, previously served as Trump’s Director Of National Intelligence where he endangered sources and methods just to satisfy Trump’s ego and personal vendettas.
- Russell Vought, Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote large portions of Project 2025 and is the architect of the chaotic federal funding and hiring freeze endangering public safety and public health in communities nationwide.
Published: Mar 10, 2025 | Last Modified: Mar 20, 2025