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After Donald Trump attempted to distance himself from Project 2025 on the campaign trail, the organization behind it \u201ckind of went dark,\u201d an official admitted. <\/p>\n
Kamala Harris linked the Heritage Foundation\u2019s Project 2025 \u2013 a radical conservative 900-page blueprint for the second Trump administration, which includes proposals for shutting down the Department of Education and federal limits on abortion \u2013 to the Trump campaign.<\/p>\n
After Democrats hit Project 2025 hard in campaign ads, the organization faced widespread backlash and had no choice but to quietly back away. Trump\u2019s campaign also publicly shunned the proposals. \u201cWe did not anticipate that,\u201d a Heritage official told Politico\u2019s Playbook. \u201cAnd wish it didn\u2019t happen. But you know, we had to do what we had to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Trump distanced himself from the document, the think tank also stopped touting it on social media. Their president, Kevin Roberts, even pushed his own book publication launch back from September to after the election.<\/p>\n
Now the book, titled Dawn\u2019s Early Light, the foreword of which is penned by vice president-elect JD Vance, has been published, and the mood seems to be changing in the group, who are creeping back out of the shadows into Trump\u2019s sphere after months of fierce criticism.<\/p>\n
Last week in Washington D.C, the group marked the book\u2019s publication with a cocktail party where one Heritage official, with \u201ca nervous laugh,\u201d told Politico\u2019s Playbook: \u201cWe\u2019re so back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump has repeatedly denied any connection to Project 2025 (REUTERS)At the event attended by Playbook, Roberts gave remarks to the room where he sounded \u201cpretty optimistic\u201d about the likelihood of Project 2025\u2019s proposals coming to pass.<\/p>\n
A Heritage official told the column that the think tank has prepared a list of 20,000 names who could fill jobs in Trump\u2019s second administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI happen to know a 922-page book where there\u2019s a perfect plan for doing that,\u201d Roberts said, according to Playbook. \u201cAnd I happen to work with the people who are perfect to implement it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberts also reportedly remarked on his differences with Robert F Kennedy Jr when it comes to abortion. During his independent presidential bid, Trump\u2019s pick for health secretary praised Roe v Wade, saying he was \u201cfor choice and medical freedom.\u201d It has caused ruffles in the Republican party.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe might agree to disagree,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut we\u2019re going to work on whatever we can that we agree on, and I will hold out hope that maybe I can change his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.<\/p>\n
Robert F Kennedy Jr said he is \u2018for choice\u2019 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)The Trump campaign repeatedly denied that the president-elect had anything to do with Project 2025, despite former Trump officials having contributed to it and his own running mate\u2019s direct connection to the think tank.<\/p>\n
In the foreword of Roberts\u2019s book, Vance writes: \u201cIn the fights that lay ahead, these ideas are an essential weapon.\u201d He also noted in the introduction that Heritage is \u201cthe most influential engine of ideas for Republicans from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the summer Trump posted on Truth Social that he knew \u201cnothing about Project 2025\u201d and that some of the proposals were \u201cabysmal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea who is behind it,\u201d he said. A photo since emerged of Trump on a private jet sat next to Roberts in 2022. <\/p>\n
After moving to delay his book publication, Roberts told The Independent in August: \u201cThere\u2019s a time for writing, reading, and book tours \u2013 and a time to put down the books and go fight like hell to take back our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve chosen to move my book\u2019s publication and promotion to after the election,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington email I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our\u00a0privacy policy After Donald Trump attempted to distance himself from Project 2025 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n