Internet blasts Trump for endorsing work behind developing Project 2025 in resurfaced 2022 clip despite claiming ‘I know nothing'

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Former President Donald Trump has recently tried to separate himself from the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, even though he previously told the conservative advocacy group in 2022 that they were laying the "groundwork and detailed plans for exactly what our movement will do."

A clip from former President Trump's keynote address at Heritage Foundation's annual leadership conference was shared by NBC News's Vaughn Hillyard, per Mediaite.

In the video, the 78-year-old MAGA strongman remarked, “Our country is going to hell. The critical job of institutions such as Heritage is to lay the groundwork.”

“And Heritage does such an incredible job at that,” the ex-POTUS went on to say. “This is a great group, and they’re going to lay the groundwork and detailed plans for exactly what our movement will do and what your movement will do when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America. And that’s coming, that’s coming.”

What prompted Trump to distance himself from the much-touted Project 2025?

The Heritage Foundation and its Project 2025 have prominently featured in the 2024 presidential campaign, garnering attention from Democrats who are raising concerns surrounding the group’s proposed plans.

Project 2025, a comprehensive 920-page initiative, aims to overhaul the structure of the US government and implement numerous long-standing objectives of the conservative right.

These include stricter limitations on abortion, abolishing the Department of Education, the removal of workplace protections for LGBTQ individuals, a reduction in US participation in NATO, and a substantial increase in nuclear weapon capabilities.

MSNBC News reported on Project 2025’s plans for restructuring the federal workforce, stating, "The proposal’s most dramatic shift would be to reclassify thousands of federal jobs, allowing Trump to fire career employees and replace them with his picks."

"This would be the most dramatic shift in the federal workforce since the 1880s when reformers ended the partisan 'spoils system,' which led to incompetence, graft and corruption within federal agencies. 'Our goal is to assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained and prepared conservatives to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative State,' the authors say in a foreword."

Last Friday, the 2024 presumptive GOP presidential nominee posted on Truth Social, “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”

Project 2025 has been consistently endorsed by allies of former President Trump, who are expected to form a key part of his administration if he is reelected come November.

Notably, the plan was predominantly developed by his former staff members.

Scripps News mentioned this week, “Former President Trump tried to distance himself, posting, ‘I know nothing about project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it.’ Despite that claim, watchdog groups say around 80% of Project 2025 contributors are former Trump staffers, including director Paul Danz, who served in the Office of Personnel Management. Former special assistant Spencer Chretien is the associate director."

"Peter Navarro, a former Trump official now in prison after a contempt of Congress conviction, wrote a chapter on trade policy. Former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller writes a chapter on the Department of Defense and Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt appears in a Project 2025 training video,” it added.

Internet blasts Donald Trump for endorsing the work behind developing Project 2025 in resurfaced clip

Netizens criticized the former president for claiming, "I know nothing about Project 2025," despite a resurfaced video of him at the Heritage Foundation's keynote dinner in 2022, where he praised the extensive work involved in developing the controversial Project 2025.

One X user remarked, "Trump is a dangerous liar."

Another user claimed, "Trump also denied knowing: - About hush money payoffs - About Russian business ties - About Michael Flynn - Vladimir Putin - Matt Whitaker - David Duke - Ann Coulter - Wikileaks." [sic]

Another user wrote, "Trump’s Project 2025 WILL: Ban abortion and contraception Steal your Social Security Gut Medicare and Obamacare Slash veterans’ benefits Tell your family and friends."

One X user said, "He's always lying about everything!"

Another user quipped, "So I guess he does know what Project 2025 is!"

Finally, this user tweeted, "So much for 'I know nothing.'"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.