The Trump administration escalated tensions with Democratic-led cities by threatening to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, targeting the city over its sanctuary policies. This action aligns with Project 2025’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy, which includes mass …
Donald TrumpHeritage FoundationChicago City GovernmentStephen MillerSarah Parshall Perryproject-2025immigration-enforcementurban-policysanctuary-citiesnational-guard+1 more
The Heritage Foundation released an 800-page ‘Guide to the Constitution’ featuring contributions from Trump appointees and prefaced by Justice Samuel Alito, serving as Trump’s blueprint for Supreme Court nominations and legal interpretation. The guide promotes an originalist …
Heritage FoundationJustice Samuel AlitoDonald TrumpSupreme Courtjudicial-captureinstitutional-captureconstitutional-subversionproject-2025
President Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following the release of a weak July jobs report, accusing the agency of ‘rigging’ employment numbers. Trump nominated EJ Antoni, a Heritage Foundation fellow and Project 2025 contributor who has publicly …
Donald TrumpErika McEntarferEJ AntoniBureau of Labor StatisticsHeritage Foundationinstitutional-capturedata-manipulationpolitical-retaliationstatistical-integrity
On September 1, 2025, President Trump initiated a massive purge of federal Inspectors General, firing approximately 17 independent watchdogs across multiple agencies. These dismissals, explicitly outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint, violated federal law requiring …
Donald TrumpChuck GrassleyChuck SchumerElizabeth WarrenRobert Storch+2 moreinspector-general-purgeoversight-eliminationexecutive-poweraccountability-removalproject-2025+2 more
Trump nominated E.J. Antoni, Heritage Foundation chief economist and Project 2025 contributor, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics after firing the previous commissioner over a disappointing jobs report. Antoni has publicly claimed BLS data is ‘rigged’ and lacks relevant expertise for …
E.J. AntoniDonald TrumpBureau of Labor StatisticsHeritage FoundationSteve Bannoninstitutional-capturesystematic-corruptiondata-manipulation
By August 7, President Trump had signed 186 executive orders, with independent analysis finding approximately two-thirds mirror or partially mirror Project 2025 proposals. This systematic implementation demonstrates a coordinated effort to reshape federal governance through executive action, …
Donald TrumpProject 2025 architectsHeritage Foundationexecutive-ordersproject-2025-correlationsystematic-implementationblueprint-adherenceexecutive-power-expansion
By August 7, 2025, President Trump had signed 202 executive orders, with independent analyses confirming that approximately two-thirds mirror the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 proposals - an agenda Trump previously disavowed during his campaign. Key domains include civil rights …
Donald TrumpHeritage FoundationProject 2025Federal Registerexecutive-ordersproject-2025authoritarian-blueprintlegislative-bypassdemocracy-erosion+1 more
On July 15, 2025, the federal government implements massive budget cuts to climate research, effectively dismantling NOAA’s research capabilities. The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) is completely eliminated, with the budget line reading zero dollars for climate research. …
NOAAOffice of Oceanic and Atmospheric ResearchU.S. Global Change Research ProgramHeritage FoundationClimate research agencies+1 moreclimate-dismantlingnoaa-cutsresearch-eliminationenvironmental-rollbackscience-denial+1 more
The federal workforce was reduced by 59,000 employees in the first five months of 2025, with an additional 154,000 federal workers accepting the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), marking the largest single-year exodus of civil servants in nearly 80 years. This reduction aligns with the Trump …
Donald TrumpRussell VoughtKevin RobertsHeritage Foundationworkforce-reductionfederal-employeesgovernment-shrinkageadministrative-exodusproject-2025
Trump administration officials invoked the unitary executive theory to assert direct presidential control over Department of Justice prosecutorial decisions, reversing decades of DOJ independence norms. The administration cited the Supreme Court’s Trump v. United States immunity ruling, which …
Donald TrumpMichael C. DorfDepartment of JusticeHeritage Foundationexecutive-overreachdoj-politicizationconstitutional-crisisinstitutional-captureunitary-executive-theory+1 more
Trump administration implements Project 2025’s Schedule F recommendation, rebranded as ‘Schedule Policy/Career,’ identifying approximately 50,000 federal positions for reclassification from career civil servants to political appointees screened for ideological loyalty. This move …
Donald TrumpRussell VoughtRussell PekalaHeritage Foundationschedule-fcivil-servicepolitical-loyaltyadministrative-stateproject-2025+1 more
Brendan Carr, who wrote Project 2025’s FCC chapter calling for “reining in Big Tech” and Section 230 reform to combat “tech censorship,” now chairs the FCC implementing his own recommendations. Immediately after appointment, announced plans to “dismantle the …
Brendan CarrFCCTrump AdministrationHeritage Foundationfccproject-2025tech-regulationcontent-moderationpersonnel-appointments+2 more
Analysis of Trump’s first week in office reveals approximately 65% of his executive actions closely align with Project 2025 recommendations, despite previously claiming no association. Key areas of implementation include dismantling DEI programs, reviving Schedule F to reclassify federal …
Donald TrumpRuss VoughtHeritage FoundationPaul Dansproject-2025trump-administrationexecutive-actionsconservative-policyfederal-workforce+1 more
The Trump administration systematically dismantled federal civil service protections through Schedule F, an executive order enabling mass reclassification and termination of career civil servants. By October 2025, approximately 4,200 federal workers across at least 7 agencies received reduction in …
Trump AdministrationHeritage FoundationOffice of Personnel ManagementFederal Employee UnionsProject 2025 Coalition+3 moreregulatory-captureinstitutional-corruptionindustry-influencesystematic-coordinationcivil-service-reform+3 more
On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration implements Schedule F executive order, enabling systematic purge of federal civil service workforce by stripping job protections from approximately 50,000 nonpartisan public servants. This restructuring, developed by the Heritage Foundation, allows …
Donald TrumpHeritage FoundationKevin RobertsPaul DansCareer Civil Servantsregulatory-captureinstitutional-transformationcivil-service-reformexecutive-powerpolitical-loyalty+1 more
The Trump administration, through Project 2025 and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), launches a comprehensive strategy to fundamentally transform the federal workforce by implementing Schedule F (renamed ‘Schedule Policy/Career’), which strips civil service protections from …
Heritage FoundationKevin D. RobertsDonald TrumpElon MuskDepartment of Government Efficiency (DOGE)project-2025schedule-fregulatory-captureinstitutional-corruptioncivil-service-transformation
Trump signed EO to reinstate Schedule F (renamed “Schedule Policy/Career”) targeting 50,000 federal employees (2% of workforce) for at-will employment status, stripping civil service protections. OPM estimates could reach 200,000+. Agencies must recommend positions by April 20. Key …
Donald TrumpOPMHeritage Foundationgovernment-actionschedule-fcivil-serviceproject-2025federal-workforce
Vice President-elect JD Vance wrote the foreword to “Dawn’s Early Light” by Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, a key architect of Project 2025. Originally scheduled for September 2024 but postponed until after the presidential election, the book describes a vision for a …
JD VanceKevin RobertsHeritage Foundationsuccession-riskjd-vanceproject-2025authoritarian-consolidationgovernment-purge+2 more
Vice President-elect JD Vance writes the foreword to “Dawn’s Early Light” by Kevin Roberts, the architect of Project 2025. In the foreword, Vance calls for “offensive conservatism” and “rebuild[ing]” government, endorsing the Heritage Foundation’s …
JD VanceKevin RobertsHeritage FoundationPaul DansSteven Grovessuccession-riskjd-vanceproject-2025authoritarian-consolidationgovernment-purge+2 more
Paul Dans departed as Project 2025 director on July 30, 2024, amid Trump campaign pressure to distance from the Heritage Foundation blueprint. The departure followed campaign concerns about the project becoming a political liability, though Russell Vought later claimed Trump privately supports the …
Paul DansKevin RobertsHeritage FoundationDonald TrumpRussell Voughtproject-2025heritage-foundationcampaign-strategypolitical-distancing
Paul Dans steps down as director of Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation after increasing controversy. Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation President, takes over leadership. The project, which proposed significant government restructuring, became politically contentious, with Trump campaign …
Paul DansKevin RobertsHeritage FoundationDonald TrumpSusie Wiles+2 moreproject-2025leadership-changeheritage-foundationelection-2024conservative-policy+1 more
Heritage Foundation launched $22 million “2025 Presidential Transition Project” published April 2023, bringing together 140+ former Trump staffers and 100+ conservative organizations. Created 920-page “Mandate for Leadership” blueprint, LinkedIn-style personnel database, …
The Heritage Foundation launched its comprehensive 2025 Presidential Transition Project in April 2022, a strategic initiative to prepare conservative policy recommendations and personnel for a potential new administration. Led by Heritage President Kevin Roberts and initially directed by Paul Dans, …
Following Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss and false claims of widespread fraud, ALEC developed new model election legislation to give Trump’s “Big Lie” systematic legislative form across states. The organization partnered with Heritage Action and the State Policy Network to …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Heritage FoundationHeritage ActionState Policy NetworkRepublican state legislatorsALECvoter-suppressionelectoral-manipulationbig-lieTrump+3 more
Throughout 2021, at least 440 bills containing voter restriction provisions were introduced across 49 states, representing the largest coordinated assault on voting rights since Jim Crow and demonstrating ALEC’s systematic model legislation deployment at unprecedented scale. The Brennan Center …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Heritage FoundationHeritage ActionRepublican state legislatorsState Policy NetworkALECvoter-suppressionelectoral-manipulationbig-lievoting-rights+3 more
President Trump issued an executive order creating Schedule F, a radical reclassification mechanism designed to strip civil service protections from approximately 50,000 federal workers in ‘policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating’ positions. The order would effectively …
Donald TrumpOffice of Personnel ManagementHeritage FoundationProject 2025American Federation of Government Employeesschedule-fcivil-service-capturesystematic-coordinationfederal-workforceinstitutional-capture+1 more
The Heritage Foundation placed 70+ personnel in the Trump administration and achieved implementation of 64% of their policy recommendations within Trump’s first year, unprecedented corporate capture of government. Heritage alumni included OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, EPA Administrator Scott …
During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump made a pivotal strategic commitment to outsource Supreme Court nominee selection entirely to the Federalist Society, a move that would fundamentally reshape the federal judiciary. In March 2016, Trump, campaign lawyer Don McGahn, and Federalist Society …
Donald TrumpLeonard LeoDon McGahnNeil GorsuchBrett Kavanaugh+3 moretrump-judicial-nomineesfederalist-society-vettingleonard-leosupreme-court-outsourcingjudicial-capture+2 more
Following the 2010 Republican wave that gave the GOP control of both legislative chambers in twenty-six states, at least 34 states introduced nearly identical voter ID bills in the 2011 legislative session. The bills used ALEC’s 2009 model “Voter ID Act” template language, …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Republican state legislatorsHeritage FoundationState Policy NetworkALECvoter-suppressionelectoral-manipulationcorporate-influencestate-capture+3 more
Analysis of congressional testimony revealed that think tanks funded by corporations and wealthy donors appeared as expert witnesses before congressional committees without disclosing their financial conflicts of interest. Between 2021-2024, 34% of think tank witnesses came from “dark …
ALEC’s Public Safety and Elections Task Force approved the “Voter ID Act” model legislation at its July 2009 Atlanta meeting, with final Board of Directors approval on August 27, 2009. The model bill was created in direct response to Barack Obama’s 2008 election victory and …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Hans von SpakovskyHeritage FoundationALEC Public Safety and Elections Task ForceALECvoter-suppressionelectoral-manipulationcorporate-influencestate-capture+2 more
Hurricane Katrina became the largest implementation of ‘disaster capitalism’ in U.S. history, with corporate interests using the crisis to advance privatization agendas previously blocked. Within 10 days of the levees breaking, .4 billion in no-bid contracts were awarded to four major …
Dick CheneyHalliburtonBechtelShaw GroupFluor+1 morehurricane-katrinadisaster-capitalismno-bid-contractsprivatizationdisplacement
President Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ declaration marks the successful establishment of the Powell-WHIG template for crisis-accelerated institutional capture, demonstrating how coordinated corporate-government operations can exploit crisis conditions to achieve rapid democratic …
George W. BushPowell Memorandum Institutional NetworkWhite House Iraq GroupHeritage FoundationFederalist Society+5 morepowell-memorandum-accelerationwhig-template-establishmentcrisis-accelerated-capture-blueprintinstitutional-transformation-templateoligarchic-capture-culmination+4 more
The Heritage Foundation, cornerstone institution of the Powell Memorandum corporate capture strategy, establishes systematic coordination with the White House Iraq Group to exploit the 9/11 crisis for accelerated implementation of long-term institutional capture objectives. This coordination …
Heritage FoundationWhite House Iraq GroupEdwin FeulnerPaul WeyrichLewis Powell Network+5 morepowell-memorandum-accelerationheritage-foundationwhig-coordinationcrisis-exploitation-templateinstitutional-capture-acceleration+4 more
American Enterprise Institute leads coordinated think tank support for Iraq invasion, with over 20 AEI staff serving in Bush administration posts. Demonstrates systematic implementation of Powell Memo institutional capture strategy, using crisis to accelerate think tank influence over policy through …
American Enterprise InstituteHeritage FoundationDick CheneyPaul WolfowitzRichard Perlethink-tank-coordinationpowell-memo-implementationinstitutional-capturepersonnel-embeddingiraq-war+1 more
Koch Family Foundations began systematic funding of climate science denial and clean energy opposition, eventually spending $145,555,197 directly financing 90 groups attacking climate science and policy solutions from 1997-2018. The Koch network funneled $127,006,756 to 92 organizations from …
Koch IndustriesCharles KochDavid KochKoch Family FoundationsCato Institute+4 moreclimate-denialregulatory-capturefossil-fuelsthink-tank-fundingpolitical-influence
The Republican Party, led by Newt Gingrich, secured a decisive victory in the 1994 midterm elections, ending 40 years of Democratic congressional control. By campaigning on the ‘Contract with America’, Republicans gained 54 seats in the House and 8 seats in the Senate, fundamentally …
Republicans achieved an unprecedented victory in the 1994 midterm elections, gaining control of both the House and Senate for the first time in 40 years, ending four decades of Democratic dominance in Congress. Led by Rep. Newt Gingrich, who became Speaker of the House, the GOP united under the …
By 1987, the Heritage Foundation’s annual budget had reached $14.3 million, representing a doubling from $7.1 million in 1981 and demonstrating the massive scale of corporate investment in conservative policy infrastructure. The foundation would reach $14.6 million by 1988, establishing …
In 1986, the Madison Group was established as an informal confederation of state-level think tanks and their supporters, named after the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC where they first met. This network, which would be formalized as the State Policy Network (SPN) in 1992, represented the extension …
Thomas A. RoeAmerican Legislative Exchange CouncilHeritage FoundationSouth Carolina Policy CouncilHeartland Institutethink-tank-infrastructurestate-capturealec-coordinationpowell-memo-implementationcoordinated-networks
In 1985, the Bradley Foundation underwent a dramatic transformation when Rockwell International Corporation acquired the Allen-Bradley Company, expanding the foundation’s assets from $14 million to over $290 million - a more than 20-fold increase. This windfall enabled systematic, coordinated …
Michael S. JoyceLynde and Harry Bradley FoundationHeritage FoundationFederalist SocietyAmerican Enterprise Institute+2 morefoundation-fundingthink-tank-infrastructureconservative-movementcoordinated-fundingpowell-memo-implementation
The Heritage Foundation publishes “Mandate for Leadership,” a comprehensive 3,000-page policy blueprint containing over 2,000 specific recommendations for conservative governance. Reagan distributes copies to every Cabinet member at their first meeting and the administration implements …
Billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife emerges as the Heritage Foundation’s largest and most crucial donor, contributing $420,000 in 1976 alone - representing 42 percent of the foundation’s total $1 million annual budget. Scaife’s massive financial commitment transforms Heritage from a …
Richard Mellon ScaifeHeritage FoundationScaife Family Charitable TrustJoseph CoorsEdwin Meese IIIbillionaire-fundingthink-tank-expansionconservative-infrastructurepolitical-influencenarrative-control+2 more
The Heritage Foundation was established as a conservative policy research organization, with Joseph Coors of Coors Brewing Company providing critical initial funding of $250,000. Founded by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors, the think tank represented a new model of politically …
Joseph CoorsPaul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerHeritage FoundationAdolph Coors Foundationcapture-cascadeblueprintheritage-foundationthink-tankscoors-funding+2 more
The Heritage Foundation was formally established on February 16, 1973, by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors. Businessman Joseph Coors provided the critical seed funding of $250,000 (equivalent to $1.6 million in 2021 dollars), enabling the creation of a conservative think tank designed …
Paul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerJoseph CoorsHeritage Foundationconservative-movementthink-tank-foundingpolitical-infrastructurecorporate-influencepolicy-development
The Heritage Foundation is officially founded by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner, and Joseph Coors, implementing the strategic vision outlined in the Powell Memorandum. Coors provides the crucial seed funding of $250,000 to establish what becomes one of the most influential conservative think tanks in …
Paul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerJoseph CoorsRichard Mellon ScaifeHeritage Foundationthink-tank-foundingconservative-movementcorporate-influencepolitical-infrastructurenarrative-control+1 more
The Heritage Foundation’s founding represents a pivotal moment in conservative institutional infrastructure, directly implementing Lewis Powell’s 1971 memorandum’s strategy for coordinated corporate political influence. Established by Joseph Coors, Paul Weyrich, and Edwin Feulner, …
Joseph CoorsPaul WeyrichEdwin FeulnerHeritage Foundationpowell-memorandum-accelerationheritage-foundationthink-tank-creationinstitutional-coordinationconservative-infrastructure