Project 2025 and the Danger it Poses for us all

The term Project 2025 has been repeated frequently in all of the latest presidential debates, national conventions, and rallies, but most people still have yet to understand what Project 2025 is. Created by The Heritage Foundation, which is a research and educational organization whose sole purpose is to spread conservative ideals and values throughout Washington, D.C., and into U.S. policy, Project 2025 aligns with a similar purpose. 

Project 2025 was primarily created as a means to reverse the actions that Democratic politicians have taken in government. This would mean the end of important structures like Federal Student Aid Programs, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and Civil Rights Protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Many of these changes would impact students specifically. Most notably the plan to eliminate the Department of Education, mainly due to its efforts in creating liberal policies such as the protections for marginalized groups, and federal funding for low-income and special-needs students. Furthermore, this would likely diminish Title I funding, which supports schools in impoverished areas, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Another issue that would directly affect students is the project’s plan to attack LGBTQ+ rights, even in the classroom. Project 2025 calls for removing protections for LGBTQ+ students, specifically targeting legislation that prevents gender identity and sexual orientation-based discrimination. Project 2025 also proposes enforcing a biological definition of sex which would eliminate policies that allow for transgender students to use the pronouns and various facilities that match their gender identity​.

It is believed to be a blueprint for Donald Trump’s potential second term. However, former President Trump denies having any involvement in this horrifying plan. When asked about it during the presidential debate between himself and Harris on September 10, he said, “I have nothing to do with Project 2025…I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it, purposely. I am not going to read it.”

According to a report by John Kelly, the vice president of data journalism at CBS News, 271 of Trump’s former and current policies directly align with the plans of Project 2025. So, whether he plans to associate with the project or not, his policies do reflect this radically conservative plan. Additionally, whether Trump was involved in its creation or not, it was essentially a term blueprint made for him, and nothing is stopping him from taking inspiration from it. 

Project 2025 is displaying a shift in conservative policy that has the potential to reshape American government as we know it. As this policy plan continues to gain attention, its implications for students, marginalized communities, and the U.S. government, are going to continue to allows for further discussion and debate in politics.