ProPublica investigation revealed that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has become “basically a second commander-in-chief, a shadow president” who is “the driving force” behind Trump administration policy while Trump appears increasingly disengaged and …
ProPublica exposed Russell Vought, Trump’s OMB director and Project 2025 architect, as operating as a ‘shadow president’ or ‘second commander-in-chief’ orchestrating the systematic dismantling of federal agencies and expansion of presidential power. Vought led Project …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Education Secretary Linda McMahon initiated a dramatic 50% workforce reduction at the Department of Education, laying off approximately 1,950 employees. The mass layoffs, occurring on March 11, 2025, represent the first phase of the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the department, …
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 …
Major systematic dismantling of climate research infrastructure: NOAA’s budget cut by 27%, with Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) budget slashed from $485 million to $171 million. Approximately 1,029 jobs to be eliminated, disrupting critical weather forecasting, climate …
Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed July 4, 2025 expanded SNAP work requirements to ages 18-64, affecting parents with children 14+, veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster youth. CBO projects 2.4-3 million Americans will lose benefits. Simultaneously …
Trump announced June 2025 that FEMA would be eliminated by December 2025, after Atlantic hurricane season ends in November. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed elimination plans. 20-member FEMA Review Council formed May 2025 to recommend changes by mid-November. Trump wants states to handle …
Department of Labor reported 59,000 federal jobs eliminated by June 2025 under DOGE initiative, with additional 154,000 employees (6% of 2.3 million civilian workforce) participating in deferred resignation program paying full salary and benefits through September 30, 2025 to accelerate exodus of …
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 …
Federal workforce reduced by 59,000 positions with additional 154,000 employees on paid administrative leave through deferred resignation program designed to accelerate exodus of career officials, implementing Project 2025’s government reduction goals. OMB Director Russell Vought explicitly …
Trump administration moves to revert to weak Trump-era overtime threshold ($35,568) from Biden’s $58,656 rule, stripping overtime protections from 4.3 million workers per Economic Policy Institute. Project 2025 also proposes calculating overtime over 2-4 week periods instead of weekly, and …
The Trump administration proposed executive orders and budget cuts to eliminate environmental research and monitoring for rocket launches and atmospheric pollution, a move that would primarily benefit private space companies like SpaceX by reducing regulatory oversight and potential future …
Trump administration implements strict new work requirements for SNAP (food stamps) affecting 40 million Americans. Additionally, over 1 million ch…
Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced massive workforce reduction at the Department of Education, eliminating nearly 1,300 positions across all divisions. The cuts, directly aligned with Project 2025’s recommendation to dismantle the department, will impact Federal Student Aid, Institute …
Education Secretary Linda McMahon announces reduction in force (RIF) impacting nearly 50% of Department’s workforce, cutting from 4,133 to 2,183 employees. Almost 600 employees accepted voluntary separation while remaining affected staff placed on administrative leave starting March 21. …
In May 2025, the Trump administration implemented a controversial ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ requiring federal job applicants at GS-5 and above to write essays about Trump’s policies. Applicants must describe how they would advance specific executive orders, effectively creating an ideological screening …
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), under acting director Russell Vought, abruptly dropped five significant lawsuits, including a $2 billion case against Capital One. The dismissals, which came during Jonathan McKernan’s Senate confirmation hearing, represent an unprecedented …
Russell Vought, acting CFPB director and Project 2025 author, orders CFPB offices to close and notifies staff they ‘cannot perform any work tasks,’ effectively shutting down agency that oversees consumer financial protections.
Russell Vought (OMB Director/Acting CFPB Director) ordered CFPB headquarters shuttered Feb 9-10, told 1,700 staff to stay home and “cannot perform any work tasks.” Ordered stop to proposed rules, investigations. Plans 95% workforce reduction (1,700 to 200). August appeals court lifted …
Russell Vought, who authored Project 2025’s chapter on restructuring Executive Office and expanding presidential power, was confirmed as OMB Director on February 6, 2025 by a 53-47 Senate vote. He now implements the exact recommendations he wrote, including using the budget agency to withhold …
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 …
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration faces 27% budget cut with Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research effectively eliminated, dismantling climate science infrastructure and weather forecasting capabilities.
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 …
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 …
Trump administration deploys young Trump loyalists dubbed “MAGA commissars” throughout federal agencies to monitor compliance with administration directives and screen remaining career staff for political reliability.
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order challenging birthright citizenship, targeting children born to non-citizen or undocumented parents. The order, which directly mirrors Project 2025 recommendations, seeks to reinterpret the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause, …
President Trump signed numerous executive orders, memorandums and proclamations on inauguration day January 20, 2025, including withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement and WHO, establishing DOGE led by Elon Musk, and rescinding 78 Biden-era executive actions. The DOGE order temporarily renamed the …
Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, creating a process to designate Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The order directs cabinet officials to make recommendations within 14 days and prepare to invoke the Alien Enemies …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Trump administration implements unprecedented Schedule F (renamed Schedule Policy/Career) executive order on first day of presidency, systematically dismantling civil service protections and targeting DOJ prosecution staff. The order reclassifies an estimated 50,000 federal workers (2% of federal …
Brennan Center for Justice documented record-breaking dark money spending of $1.9 billion in 2024 federal election cycle, nearly doubling previous record. Dark money groups contributed $1.3 billion to super PACs, more than prior two election cycles combined, often routed through shell companies to …
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 …
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 …
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 Dans, original Project 2025 director, stepped down from leadership in late July 2024 after tensions with the Trump campaign. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts assumed control, continuing the project’s policy development while distancing it from direct campaign involvement.
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 …
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, …
Russell Vought founded the Center for Renewing America (CRA) in January 2021, initially called the Center for American Restoration, creating a Christian nationalist policy organization to prepare for Trump’s return to power and advance a theocratic agenda. Vought, a self-described Christian …
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 …
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) under John Graham implemented new procedures requiring federal agencies to submit proposed regulations to corporate ‘stakeholder panels’ before internal government review. These panels, dominated by industry representatives, gained …