Special interest groups have always pressed political candidates for their wish list in new presidential administrations. In 2020, the National Education (NEA) put their left-leaning policy wishes in their Playbook for the incoming Biden administration. Conservatives found the NEA playbook an assault on their values. The media, with its power to shape public opinion, largely ignored conservative objections to the NEA policy agenda, and consequently, the public remained silent.

What a difference with Project 2025, a conservative agenda for the next Republican administration. A relentless media attack has labeled the plan as racist, a document for the neo-fascist movement, and anti-democratic. So, what is Project 2025, and where did it originate? Should we be afraid of its proposed policies? Better yet, how should we pray?

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The brainchild of Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., Project 2025 is a Presidential Transition Project. Mr. Roberts brought together Trump administration officials and other allies of the former president, along with over one hundred coalition partners, to develop a playbook to start implementing on day one of the next Republican president’s administration. Project 2025 provides detailed plans for every conceivable aspect of the federal government, including hiring personnel whose ideology aligns with the president’s. One element includes executive orders prepared in advance of the president taking office that could be signed and implemented on day one, much like what happened with President Biden’s first day, when he signed 17 Executive Orders. Project 2025 is a game plan for a conservative president.

There is much written about Project 2025, but let’s go right to the source:

The actions of liberal politicians in Washington have created a desperate need and unique opportunity for conservatives to start undoing the damage the Left has wrought and build a better country for all Americans in 2025.

It is not enough for conservatives to win elections. If we are going to rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left, we need both a governing agenda and the right people in place, ready to carry this agenda out on day one of the next conservative administration. 

This is the goal of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project. The project will build on four pillars that will, collectively, pave the way for an effective conservative administration: a policy agenda, personnel, training, and a 180-day playbook.

The project began in 2022 and continued under the media radar until June 28, 2024, when the Supreme Court struck down the Chevron deference standard. This 40-year-old doctrine allowed federal agencies to interpret ambiguous laws. This reversal gives federal judges the responsibility for interpreting agency laws.

The Supreme Court decision sent shock waves throughout the Left. On July 5, 2024, Marc Elias, known as the Democrat’s Super Lawyer specializing in election lawfare, posted a blog on his website, democracydocket.com. In his post, Elias attacked Project 2025 and the Supreme Court for bolstering Project 2025 by overruling the Chevron deference doctrine.

With the new ruling, the Supreme Court handed the next conservative president the power to make drastic changes in personnel and federal agencies. However, Elias and his associates are not primarily concerned about the power to implement massive changes given to a conservative president. Their great fear is the possibility of the power over federal agencies being given to a president they hate. The power they once held could pass to President Donald Trump.

Mr. Elias knew that if he could not change the law, the best thing he could do would be to discredit Project 2025. With over 185,000 subscribers to his website, democracydocket.com, Elias’ opinion wields great power. He posted articles and solicited others to do the same on his website. An anti-Project 2025 article by Matt Cohen was titled “Unmasking the Anti-Democracy Agenda of Project 2025, explaining how Project 2025 could upend democracy.”

The media quickly joined the smear campaign to taint Project 2025. Even Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in a TV ad, offered three suggestions for RNC attendees and added a fourth comment: “Oh, and one more thing. Michigan will reject your extreme 2025 agenda.”

Once the left sensed that their prolific media campaign had sufficiently tainted the public on Project 2025, they began the process of using their platforms to tie Donald Trump to the disenfranchised Project 2025. Pres. Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025.

Phase one of the relentless media attacks consisted of massive media attacks on Project 2025. Phase two attacks tried to discredit President Trump by tying him to Project 2025, calling it Trump’s Project 2025. When the media’s attacks vilified the project to their satisfaction, the attackers entered Phase Three and began promoting the idea that Project 2025 was shutting down. The idea for the shutdown occurred after Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts announced that Project 2025’s leader, Paul Dans, was ” Unable to take President Robert’s words at face value, the Daily Beast suggested that Project 2025 was shutting down. A change in leadership surely meant the demise of Project 2025. A dismissive reply from two Trump campaign senior advisors bolstered the shutting down rumor and fostered a hammering Daily Caller headline, “Trump Campaign Issues Brutal Blow to Project 2025.”

Remember, the Left produced its own playbook for the current administration before President Biden took office. Their playbook included submissions from each federal agency and office outlining precisely what they wanted from a Biden Presidency, so the media uproar about Project 2025 is ironic, if not hypocritical.

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

It’s good for policymakers to plan for governmental transition and to develop plans based on their political principles. As intercessors, we can seek the Lord for His plans and the “steps” for our nation that are consistent with His will and His ways.

What are you hearing from the Lord about the next “steps” for our nation?

Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the Cultural Mountain of Education. She has authored Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform America’s Schools,  Safety Zone: Scriptural Prayers to Revolutionize Your School, and Decrees for Your School. She leads prayer groups to pray at key educational locations across the US. For additional information, go to: https://takingthemountainofeducation.com/author/nancyahuff/.