During last year’s campaign, Donald Trump swore that he “knows nothing” about the 2025 project. As a candidate, he said he didn't even know who wrote the far-right blueprint for his second term, calling some of his ideas “absolutely ridiculous” and “bad” and thought it was “pure failure” that led Democrats to try to connect him to the program.
If it wasn't clear at the time, Trump was lying.
Together with other journalists, I tried to make it as clear as possible during the campaign, pointing out Trump’s connection to his authors, drive records the legacy foundation’s trail in getting his thoughts and his own previous remarks – and his refusal to count on the 900 pages of the project in 2025 as a fact that he considers so ridiculous.
When he won his second term, Trump gave up pretending and began promulgating a 2025 proposal, in some cases for the letter. In the eight months since his inauguration, he has examined most of the main suggestions:
• Launch large-scale eviction program
• Clear civil servants and replace them with partisan loyalists
•Add funds to public broadcasters
• Reduce the role of the Federal Emergency Administration in disaster response
• Eliminate federal “diversity, equity and inclusion” efforts
• Ban transgender troops in the army
Meanwhile, he appointed 2025 Project Project Russell Vook as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Although the latter lacks the usual certificate, he nominated EJ Antoni as Labor Statistics Commissioner. (The Senate has not voted on Antoni's confirmation.) He appointed Brendan Carr, who literally wrote a chapter about the Federal Communications Commission as chairman of the FCC.
In the past, a president who made a major reversal of his campaign promises might have shown some attitude, or because Woodrow Wilson did when he broke his promises to free the United States from World War I or George HW Bush’s promises, trying to explain their reversal, just as he did when he signed up for a higher tax budget.
Trump did not give any explanation. But Carr from the FCC is very clear, and he thinks it's all a big joke.
After ABC paused late night show host Jimmy Kimmel, actor and singer Kevin McHale, you might remember posting on X as Artie on the TV show Glee, “It’s all in the 2025 project, btw.” Carl then responded, releasing actor Jack Nicholson's co-reaction GIF from the movie “Anger Management” and nodded “yes”.
Trump lied to his agenda, enacting a deeply unpopular policy after he was sworn in and appointed a big FCC fan, which was bad for him to punish everyone, from local journalists to late-night comics, to exercise their First Amendment rights. But that just makes the situation worse.
Among the 77 million Americans who voted for Trump, some do believe he has nothing to do with 2025. From conservative podcasts to Republican senators (the source they trust), everyone encourages them to take this belief even if they know better.
See, politicians sometimes bend the truth or make promises they cannot guarantee. But research shows that they actually try to keep most of their campaign commitments. When they don't, they usually try to explain themselves so that voters can decide whether there is a reason. This is just part of the political push and pull.
But Carl's posts view it all as a big joke. It's not an insult to journalists like me – even the third-line protagonist of the TV show ended in 2015. It is an insult to Trump’s own voters, who should be angry that they are treated as if they believe him.