The former president effectively “birthed” the project. Now that it’s a political liability, one of Trump’s foot soldiers is out of a job
As he entered the final stretch of the 2024 presidential race, Donald Trump spent much of this month trying to disown the highly Trumpy, Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025 — to the point that he even got his fans to boo the initiative during a recent campaign rally. His protracted freakout over the conservative project — to which he has multiple direct ties, and which is only as extreme as it is largely because of his influence — is driven almost entirely by Trump’s fear over one thing.
When the twice-impeached ex-president and convicted felon took to social media in early July to make the (patently absurd) claim that “I know nothing about Project 2025, [and] I have no idea who is behind it,” he added, “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying, and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” He did not specify what “things” he meant.
Trump didn’t birth that movement. He (and his hardcore followers) is this movement’s useful idiot. If Haley, Cruz, or whoever else had won the nomination in either this or the last election cycle, the Project 2025 initiative would have continued on just as strong.
Trump might be the visible leader of the GOP right now, but he is not really pulling the reigns. The party is gripped with an internal power struggle: they have Trump and his followers with one agenda (and a lot of loud momentum right now), and the P2025 crowd with their own agenda. Sometimes the agendas match up, other times they conflict.
But to see who really has the upper hand just look at where the big money infusions are coming from. Trump’s benefactors give money contingent on him following their goals. And for most of them P2025 is the path to their goals.
Once Trump is of no more use to the big money donors they will drop him like a hot potato and move on to their next proxy.
He will remain a useful idiot for them for as long as he can motivate his hordes to fight, kill, and die for him. The ability to motivate people to that degree is no minor ability and it is prized by power brokers.
Yep. No one is following Ted Cruz anywhere.
He’s a President like Zaphoid Beeblebrox was president in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Trump keeps the attention on him (great for a narcissist) and other people do things and make the real decisions. I don’t want to make light of it, but I really think that’s what’s happening here. The 2025 people are just waiting to push their their stuff through while their candidate doesn’t care as long as he is cheered for and has less legal troubles. He’s only upset because it showed negative in the polls, he doesn’t care otherwise about the thing.
Well, he was certainly in the birthing room afterwards cooing over the new baby fascist project, and is now realizing that it’s an ugly baby and trying to disown it
Haha, love the analogy!
*reins, like reindeer