Paul Dans, director of the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 program, resigned after former President Donald Trump was outraged by news reports linking him to the plan’s policy recommendations.
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The Heritage Foundation announced on Tuesday that the top official behind Project 2025, the conservative think tank’s far-reaching plan to reform the U.S. government, is resigning, but the remaining work on the project will be led by its president.
Heritage says Paul Dans will resign and Project 2025’s policy operations are coming to an end. Foundation president Kevin Roberts said in a statement that policy work always ends after the party convention no matter what, but their personnel work will continue.
“We will continue our collective efforts to build personnel for decision-makers at the federal, state and local levels,” he wrote.
Republican former President Donald Trump’s campaign tried to deny the project. Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, leaders of the campaign, said in a statement that “reports of the termination of the 2025 program would be extremely welcome and should be A warning to anyone or any group who tries to misrepresent their influence on President Trump and his campaign — it won’t end well for you.
The Trump campaign has sought to distance itself from the second-term Trump administration’s sweeping plan to reform the U.S. government amid controversial policy positions on issues such as abortion and immigration. The 900-page plan is a conservative guide to expanding presidential powers and reforming the federal workforce to replace them with partisan loyalists.
As polls show voters disapprove of Plan 2025, Democrats have begun linking Trump to the plan. This prompted the former president to post on Truth Social: “I know nothing about the 2025 plan. I don’t know who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they said and what they said Some things are absolutely ridiculous and terrible and I wish them the best of luck in whatever they do, but I have nothing to do with them.
Although Trump has tried to deny the connection, there is much overlap between Project 2025 and his agenda: It proposes the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants. So does Trump. Trump has called for spending cuts at federal agencies such as the Department of Education. The 2025 plan calls for its elimination.
But there are differences: On abortion, for example, Plan 2025 goes further than Trump says.
Democrats appear ready to continue to tie the project to Trump.
In a statement on Tuesday titled “The 2025 Plan Is Not Going Anywhere,” Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez insisted that “the reason the 2025 Plan is on the ballot is because of Donald ·Trump on the Ballot This is his agenda, crafted by his allies for Donald Trump to impose on our country.
