CNN anchor Abby Phillip called out former President Donald Trump's disavowal of Project 2025, using video of Trump to call out his "B.S." claim that he knows absolutely nothing about it.
Project 2025 is a set of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation aimed at restructuring the United States federal government and consolidating executive power if the Republican nominee wins the 2024 presidential election.
These plans have come under increased scrutiny and Trump has tried to distance himself from them, claiming in a recent post on Truth Social that these ideas are "absolutely ridiculous and abysmal."
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
But Phillip wasn't buying Trump's claim, calling it "B.S. any way you shovel it" and presenting footage of Trump's own words as evidence of his connections with the individuals and groups that developed the collection of far-right policy proposals and the plans for their implementation. She noted that Trump is the "vessel" through which the Heritage Foundation will seek to accomplish the goals laid out in the plan.
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Phillip showed footage of Trump praising the "legendary" Heritage Foundation during a 2022 event and describing it as one "at the forefront of the conservative movement helping to lead the fight to defend our cherished American history, culture, and traditions."
At another point, Trump declares that the country "is going to hell" and that the Heritage Foundation "does an incredible job" at laying the "groundwork" to fulfill its policy goals as a "vanguard of the conservative movement."
Phillip also presented a 2019 clip of then-Vice President Mike Pence stating that the conservative foundation had been “fighting side by side with this president and this administration since day one,” and highlighted how “we drew on the scholarship and the resources of this historic think tank.”
She then showed clips of Trump praising multiple high-profile members of the Heritage Foundation, including Stephen Miller, Peter Navarro and Ben Carson, all of whom were members of the Trump administration. Additionally, Trump is shown praising Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation President, who recently made headlines for calling for a "second American revolution" that he said will “remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
Phillip noted that Roberts even "shared the same stage" with Trump and shared footage of Roberts describing Project 2025 as a "comprehensive policy agenda" that is "recruiting 20,000 people to go into the next administration to hopefully take back this country for you and for your audiences."
Phillip then weighed in:
"The man [Paul Dans] overseeing the project itself signals that he will be there to implement it inside of a future Trump West Wing. ... [Also] One of the men involved is one of Trump's closest aides and is even clearer about the project's purpose and he is hardly the only loyalist who is involved in this project."
"So are more than 30 former and current campaign officials including Stephen Miller, Ken Cuccinelli, Stephen Moore, Peter Navarro, and Ben Carson, all who Trump would have a hard time convincing us he doesn't actually know." ...
"Now, as for Trump's other claim that he doesn't know anything about the project, let's just deconstruct that sentence on its surface."
Phillip pointed to Trump's aforementioned Truth Social post in which he claims to "know nothing" about the initiative but then goes on to say that he disagrees "with some of the things they're saying."
To that, Phillip said:
"He knows nothing about it but disagrees with it? First, Heritage says the foundation briefed all Republican candidates on the project including Trump himself. In fact, the Heritage president reportedly installed Trump's advisers on purpose knowing that Trump prioritizes personal loyalty over policy."
"When Trump says that some of the ideas are 'ridiculous and abysmal,' while some of that is perhaps believable given his waffling on issues like abortion, much of the project lines up completely with Trump's own promises."
"This is hardly an exhaustive list but they include killing the Department of Education, crushing the independence of the FBI and the DOJ, the mass firings of civil servants, and mass deportations."
She concluded:
"While Trump may not be the architect of this blueprint, his loyalists are their developers. He is certainly the mogul and remember that he always knows that he hires 'the best people.'"
Many appreciated Phillip's segment and joined her in sounding the alarm.
Although Trump has claimed to have no knowledge of these proposals, it's worth noting that of the 38 individuals responsible for writing and editing Project 2025, 31 were appointed or nominated to positions in the Trump administration and transition.
Project 2025, linked here, is a comprehensive document detailing what a future Trump presidency would entail, encompassing not just policy proposals on immigration, education, and the economy, but also a vision of the America that conservatives aim to create in the next Republican administration, whether led by Trump or another standard bearer.
This document serves as a meticulous blueprint for implementing this vision, providing recommendations for key White House staff, cabinet positions, Congress, federal agencies, commissions, and boards. It also outlines a vetting process to ensure the appointment and hiring of individuals aligned with this vision at every level of government.
The plan includes several controversial proposals. It calls for a federal ban on pornography, with an implied potential for banning content related to gay and trans people. It seeks to enforce a federal ban on abortion under all circumstances, even in cases of severe fetal defects.
The plan proposes terminating civil servants without cause and replacing them with Trump loyalists, which could lead to a significant loss of institutional knowledge and efficiency within government departments every 4–8 years. It also aims to ban gay marriage and divorce, regardless of circumstances.
Furthermore, it significantly limits the powers of the FDA, CDC, and OSHA, making medicine and disability aids harder and more expensive to obtain while reducing workplace safety regulations. The plan lowers the legal working age and reduces child labor protections. It reduces the size and power of the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and restricts its ability to conduct reviews.
@IrnaEnglish/X
