What is Project 2025, and how would it impact students?

Politics

USC students discuss the conservative playbook threatening reproductive and transgender rights.

November 05, 2024 at 11:00AM PST

In 2023, the Heritage Foundation published a 900-page manuscript as part of its  Project 2025 titled “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.” It outlines the changes a group of conservatives, some of whom are former Trump administration officials, want to make to the government — many of which will impact young Americans if Trump is elected November 5.

Project 2025 is labeled as the “Presidential Transition Project” by its authors and supporters. The project outlines propositions that will affect many government organizations, such as eliminating the Department of Education.

Some young people worry about their personal freedoms if the project is enacted. On a DNC-organized press call on November 1, community leaders outlined the detrimental policies that Project 2025 will enact if Donald Trump is reelected, and the major risks to fundamental freedoms for students and youth in America.

“Donald Trump and JD Vance’s Project 2025 agenda would make college less affordable, slash public education funding, including support for colleges and universities, and roll back student loan debt forgiveness,” Representative Maxwell Frost said on the call.

USC students shared similar concerns in interviews with Annenberg Media, disagreeing with the policies outlined in the manuscript.

Samuel Morehouse, a first-year film and television MFA student, said he “would like to do whatever we can to not get it in place.”

“I’m not a fan of the people behind it or their intentions with it,” Morehouse added.

What is included in Project 2025?

The “Mandate for Leadership” is broken up into five sections:

Taking the Reins of the Government: This section outlines changes to the White House Office, the Executive Office of the President of the United States and expansions to presidential authority. This section also calls for the abolishment of the Gender Policy Council, which would limit abortion access, sexual education and transgender rights such as access to surgeries. The Common Defense: This section includes changes to the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State with the goal of tightening U.S. immigration laws and straying away from climate change and critical race theory. The General Welfare: This section plans to reduce the Department of Agriculture’s climate change control, reduce the school meals program, eliminate or reduce the role of the Department of Education, limit race theory and gender identity and sexuality teaching in schools, modify the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid and work against labor unions. The Economy: This section includes several economic policies aimed to “prioritize the economic prosperity of ordinary Americans.” The project emphasizes free market principles and a lack of government intervention. Independent Regulatory Agencies: This section covers three key regulatory agencies, and could impact future elections: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Federal Trade Commission. This section seeks to decrease the power of these commissions, giving more control to the executive branch.

The manuscript concludes: “While we may achieve tremendous successes under conservative leaders, the Left is always working to chip away at them, which is why we must constantly be prepared for the next fight.”

How do young people feel?

Many Americans opposed Project 2025 after it was published, worrying that if Trump is reelected in the upcoming election, the project will be enacted under his administration.

“I don’t think it does any benefit to any of us as students, and it’s detrimental to people, the LGBTQ community and to people of color,” Morehouse said.

Amidst this criticism, Project 2025 claimed they do not speak for any candidate. However, their website reads: “The Left has spent millions fearmongering about Project 2025 because they’re terrified of losing their power. And they should be… it dismantles the unaccountable Deep State, taking power away from Leftist elites and giving it back to the American people.”

Trump attempted to distance himself from the project in July by posting on social media that he knew nothing about it. However, according to an article by Al Jazeera, Trump endorsed the Heritage Foundation’s work on Project 2025 prior to its publication.

Reproductive rights activist Deja Foxx warned listeners on the DNC press call about the implications of Project 2025 for reproductive healthcare.

“Young women across the nation are fighting back against Trump’s dangerous vision for our country – one where Republican men are in charge of their futures and control their bodies,” Foxx said.

Other USC students said they share similar concerns to Foxx, and questioned whether their personal rights will be protected if Project 2025 is enacted.

Ethan Ellington, a junior business administration major, said he did not know much about the project. Despite this, he said he was strongly opposed to the restrictions outlined.

“I feel like we should have freedom, especially with women having a choice over their bodies,” he said.

Mahina Dameron, a freshman studying psychology, expressed a similar view regarding bodily autonomy under Project 2025.

“I genuinely think, not only for myself, but for other women and people that are able to have children, it’s the scariest thing not being able to have that option,” Dameron said. “It also affects people who are sexually assaulted, and then it’s gonna affect the mental health of so many people.”

Despite his claims that he was not involved with the production of Project 2025, Trump praised the group at a dinner hosted by the foundation in 2022, according to Al Jazeera.

“This is a great group, and they’re going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do and what your movement will do,” Trump said.