Project 2025 leader Paul Dans steps down amid strong criticism from Donald Trump's campaign

WASHINGTON, DC: Paul Dans, the director of the 2025 Presidential Transitional Project at The Heritage Foundation, has stepped down in the face of strong criticism across the aisle, on Tuesday, July 30, reported CNN.

The former Trump adviser had steered Project 2025 to create a conservative blueprint for a potential second presidency of GOP nominee Donald Trump, which has been laid out in exhaustive detail in a 900-page playbook. The plan intended to radically reshape the federal government and American life and provided Democrats fodder in their campaign against Trump.

An insider source told CNN that Project 2025 would be effectively ending its policy operations, while others mentioned that moving on to the next phase at this point was pre-planned and the efforts to build a conservative personnel apparatus would continue.

Dr Kevin Roberts, President of The Heritage Foundation, confirmed Dans' departure from Project 2025 as well as the organization, stating, "Under Paul Dans’ leadership, Project 2025 has completed exactly what it set out to do: bringing together over 110 leading conservative organizations to create a unified conservative vision, motivated to devolve power from the unelected administrative state, and returning it to the people. This tool was built for any future administration to use.”

Criticism of Project 2025 from Donald Trump

Donald Trump has been speaking out against Project 2025 in recent months, calling some of its ideas “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” He claimed to have “no idea who is behind it," and desperately struggled to distance himself from the plan.

Trump campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles expressed in a statement that the Trump team “has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign, did not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the President in any way.”

“Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you," they added.

The message was not acknowledged by Heritage, as a spokesperson from the foundation said that their work on Project 2025 will continue even after Dans' departure. The current phase of the plan is a nationwide search to fill a Trump administration with loyal conservatives, reported CNN.

The change in leadership would not stop Project 2025 from working on its agenda, claimed Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign.

"Project 2025 is on the ballot because Donald Trump is on the ballot. This is his agenda, written by his allies, for Donald Trump to inflict on our country. Hiding the 920-page blueprint from the American people doesn’t make it less real – in fact, it should make voters more concerned about what else Trump and his allies are hiding," Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez stated.

MAGA supporters disavow Project 2025

MAGA supporters on X (formerly Twitter) tried to distance themselves and Donald Trump from the controversial Project 2025 and blamed Harris and the Democrats for implying false connections. 

"This is a brilliant strategic move by Trump - he's gone from 'disavowing' Project 2025 (which was accurate), to going on the offensive against it," wrote one social media user.

"They're slandering Trump constantly. Let him sue them," shared another.

"Democrats are trying to slander President Trump any way they can. Project 2025 is just another distraction so Kamala and her campaign don’t need to talk about the border or economy," one person wrote.

"This is good. No matter what may have been good in Project 2025, it isn’t his plan and shouldn’t be connected!" commented another.

"This should have been done months ago. Project 2025 is a loser for the Trump campaign and honestly, I think it was devised to be just that for Trump," claimed one individual.

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.