One of the lead architects of the controversial Project 2025 could be in for a lead position in the next White House administration if GOP nominee Donald Trump wins the presidential election come November.
The Associated Press reported that Russell Vought would likely be appointed to a “high-ranking post” if Trump were to win back the White House.
That would be likely to raise some eyebrows — and many concerns among liberals — as Vought is one of the chief architects of Project 2025, a very conservative agenda that he and others have put together for the next Republican leader to follow upon taking office.
In addition, Vought has been working on a “180-Day Transition Playbook,” which would speed up the implementation of the plan so that Trump doesn’t start his term in a chaotic way, as it says he did the first time around.
Vought is no stranger to politics, having advised many influential Washington lawmakers and even serving in the first Trump administration. Following that, he started a pro-Trump think tank.
But, the AP report says that Vought could find himself with his most prestigious political position yet — as Trump’s White House chief of staff, which is one of the most powerful government positions.
During a June appearance on the ‘War Room’ podcast, which is hosted by another former Trump aide, Steve Bannon, Vought said:
“If we don’t have courage, then we will step away from the battle. But, our view is that’s where the country needs us, and we’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.”
Project 2025 is a more than 900-page handbook that’s meant to guide the next Republican president. It was created in large part by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation.
There are many very ambitious agenda items that are contained in it, and some are considered very conservative.
One proposal includes removing thousands of civil servants from positions and replacing them with people who are very loyal to Trump. Another would reverse a current Food and Drug Administration rule that allows certain medications to be used in abortions.
For the last few months, Democrats have been using Project 2025 as a rallying cry of sorts, trying to attack Trump and other Republicans for what they intend to do in office.
Trump himself has tried to distance himself from the agenda in recent weeks, even posting online recently that he has “no idea who is in charge of it, and, unlike our very well received Republican Platform, had nothing to do with it.”
His campaign even added last week that the “demise [of Project 2025] would be greatly welcomed.”
The same day that announcement was made, the executive director of Project 2025 — Paul Dans, who was a personnel official in the first Trump administration — stepped aside from the organization.
A major challenge Trump has in distancing himself from Project 2025 is that more than two dozen authors of the agenda served in his first administration.
