“Have you heard of Project 2025?” is one of the most asked questions in liberal politics these days.
As more Americans begin tuning in for the November elections, a group of Democrats are trying to make sure that question is also asked by independent voters, Trump-skeptical Republicans and those “double-haters” who haven’t yet made up their minds. .
“Project 2025,” developed by the far-right Heritage Foundation, is a series of policy initiatives written by Trump-supporting activists in consultation with several right-wing organizations that would fundamentally transform the federal government into an instrument of repression and political retaliation.
As Republicans eye a second Trump term, they are laying out plans to attack the civil rights of minority groups, crack down on abortion rights across the country, promote the privatization of schools and replace local law enforcement with a cruel and invasive crackdown on immigrants. While not officially a Trump campaign document, Project 2025 would undoubtedly be a blueprint for how he – or any other authoritarian leader – might operate.
Now, some Democratic lawmakers have launched an effort to raise awareness about the plans or even fight them if Trump is elected this fall.
As HuffPost reported:
Democratic Rep. California Jared Huffmanwho created the task force, said it’s about being proactive in pushing back on the illiberal impulses of the MAGA movement.
“If it catches us off guard, we’ll be too late. This time they got it. They will come fast and furious,” he told HuffPost. Huffman claimed he was concerned about the potential for American democracy to be replaced by a “right-wing theocracy” if Trump won and put Project 2025 into action.
The Stop Project 2025 Task Force consists of six other Democratic lawmakers — including Reps. Judy Chu and Jamie Raskin — and plans to host public forums, led by lawmakers, on various aspects of Project 2025. I think it’s important to reiterate that this does not seem to be the case. to view a Trump victory in November as a foregone conclusion. On the contrary, this is a protective measure to guard against illiberal policy proposals if Trump wins. But it is also, in my view, and more importantly, an attempt to increase public awareness of these proposals before voters cast their votes. Until now, awareness campaigns about Project 2025 have mainly been led by independent groups, such as the watchdog Media Matters.
It’s good to see lawmakers stepping up.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
