How much of Project 2025 has Trump enacted?

Key Concepts

• Project 2025: A conservative policy blueprint authored by the Heritage Foundation, serving as a strategic framework for the Trump administration.
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB): The federal agency responsible for overseeing the performance of federal agencies and administering the federal budget.
• Paradigm-shifting investments: Terminology used by the OMB Director to describe large-scale, multi-year military funding increases.
• Gender-affirming care: A focus area for policy changes, specifically regarding NIH research and HHS guidelines.
• JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action): The Iran nuclear deal, which Project 2025 and the current administration criticize as ineffective.

1. The Proposed Federal Budget and Military Spending

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) testified before Congress to defend the administration's proposed budget. A central pillar of this proposal is a significant increase in military spending—reportedly over 40% for the next fiscal year.

• Strategic Goals: The budget aims to fund "paradigm-shifting investments," including expanding the U.S. Navy fleet to 400 ships.
• Domestic Trade-offs: The Director acknowledged that the massive military expansion necessitates approximately a 10% cut to domestic programs.
• Justification: The administration frames these expenditures as "necessary to keep us safe" and emphasizes the shift toward multi-year funding agreements.

2. Project 2025: From Blueprint to Policy

Project 2025, authored by the Heritage Foundation, has transitioned from a campaign-era policy playbook to a functional roadmap for the current administration.

• Key Architects: Several high-ranking officials were primary contributors to the document, including the OMB Director, trade advisor Peter Navarro, FCC overseer Brendan Carr, and border czar Tom Homan.
• Implementation Statistics: According to the Center for Progressive Reform, as of February, the administration has initiated or completed 53% (283 out of 532) of the domestic policy recommendations outlined in Project 2025.
• Presidential Stance: Despite the document's influence, President Trump previously distanced himself from the project during the campaign, labeling it "misinformation and disinformation" and claiming he did not know what it was.

3. Foreign Policy and Iran

The administration’s foreign policy appears to align closely with the strategic goals outlined in Project 2025, particularly regarding Iran and China.

• Iran Strategy: Iran is mentioned over 50 times in the Project 2025 document. The policy advocates for:
  • Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear technology and delivery capabilities.
  • Criticizing the JCPOA and previous administration policies.
  • Leveraging aggressive economic sanctions, a strategy the Treasury Secretary confirmed is currently being pursued.
• China: Project 2025 identifies China as a "totalitarian enemy" and the primary foreign threat to the U.S.

4. Domestic Policy Applications

The administration has successfully integrated specific Project 2025 recommendations into executive and legislative actions:

• LGBTQ+ and Health Policy: Project 2025 recommended that the NIH fund studies on the negative effects of gender-affirming care. The administration followed this by issuing an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review literature on "gender dysphoria" and "identity-based confusion."
• Reproductive Rights: The Center for Reproductive Rights reports that 85% of the administration's reproductive health actions align with Project 2025 recommendations. A notable example is the prohibition of Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds, which was enacted via a budget bill.

5. Synthesis and Conclusion

The evidence presented indicates that Project 2025 is not merely a theoretical document but a foundational framework for the current administration’s governance. By placing its authors in key positions of power—such as the OMB, FCC, and trade advisory roles—the administration has systematically implemented a significant portion of the project's domestic and foreign policy agenda. The current budget proposal, characterized by a 40% increase in military spending and a 10% reduction in domestic programs, serves as the latest manifestation of this ideological shift, prioritizing military expansion and specific social policy reforms over previous domestic spending priorities.