Project 2025, a potent conservative stratagem molded to shape a prospective second term for President Trump, suggests a vigorous revamp of federal law enforcement. A key proposition commands the Department of Justice to scrutinize and prosecute Pennsylvania’s chief election official for their alleged role in the 2020 election controversy. Pennsylvania has emerged as a pivotal swing state where Trump and his supporters fought with ferocity to challenge Biden’s triumph in the 2020 elections. This battleground state could potentially be the key to Trump’s re-election bid.
Although Project 2025 doesn’t directly identify the Pennsylvania official in question, it’s rather obvious that it aims at Kathy Boockvar who held the office of Secretary of the Commonwealth in 2020. Boockvar, in her conversations with USA TODAY, attempted to side-step any impropriety, insisting her department was entirely above board. She charged Project 2025 of capitalizing on erroneous allegations and undeclared conspiracy theories to undermine the institutions of the United States.
Project 2025, despite its progressive vision for a second Trump administration, has faced backlash on certain aspects, such as the proposed expansion of executive power, termination of civil service protections for federal workers, and combating the so-called ‘woke culture warriors.’ Trump has strategically distanced himself from these contentious topics, subtly dismissing them as minority views. Interestingly, the authors of Project 2025 include many who have previously served in the Trump administration or are in some way linked to the former President.
One of the more conservative recommendations within the project involves a significant reduction in federal civil rights enforcement. Instead, the Justice Department would refocus its resources on investigating alleged fraudulent voter registrations at the state level. The project suggests that such reforms would streamline federal prosecution efforts against Pennsylvania’s chief election officer regarding guidance provided on alternative methods to cast votes post-rejection of their mail-in ballot in the contentious 2020 election.
The Heritage Foundation, the brains behind Project 2025, stands tall as a major conservative think tank exerting considerable influence on various Republican administrations. The foundation’s president, Kevin Roberts, in the introduction to this monumental document, champions its policies as the ‘best conservative endeavor’ and ‘the final opportunity for a conservative president to rescue our republic.’ The foundation has had considerable influence over successive Republican administrations, dating back to Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
In 2018, Trump openly embraced the group’s previous project, ‘Mandate for Leadership,’ an expression also employed in the title of Project 2025. Of note, a large majority of the project’s authors and editors have clear ties with Trump, his administration, or his campaign, including Steven Groves, a former White House assistant special counsel, and Gene Hamilton, a past Trump Justice Department official.
Under attack from Democrat leaders, Trump has kept his distance from the project, resulting in the director of Project 2025 stepping down in July. Danielle Alvarez, senior advisor to Trump’s campaign, accused Democrats of misappropriation and scare tactics in their suggestions that Trump had endorsed the policies. She asserted that only ‘President Trump’s 20 promises to the forgotten men and women and RNC Platform’ are endorsed by Trump for a second term.
Historically, the Justice Department has prided itself on political impartiality. However, Project 2025 pushes for a radical departure from this tradition, including the removal of civil service protections for seasoned nonpartisan prosecutors. The document describes the Department of Justice as a ‘bloated bureaucracy,’ infiltrated by staunch supporters of a radical liberal agenda.
Project 2025 goes further, suggesting a ‘reorgnization’ of the Civil Rights Division, redirecting some of their functions to the Criminal Division. Critics of this move argue that it essentially deprioritizes enforcement of anti-discrimination laws by dealing the cases away from those most focused on anti-discrimination—the Civil Rights Division personnel. However, such criticism is more in line with the liberal narrative, not necessarily resonating with mainstream conservatism.
Project 2025 alleges that the Department of Justice has skirted the issue of voter registration fraud as being ‘too politically costly.’ This allegation paves the way for speculative scenarios of future administrations under Trump where criminal investigations or prosecutions might be opened against political opponents. This suggestion has drawn criticism from liberals who envision a potential weaponization of the Department of Justice in any prospective second Trump administration.
Project 2025 makes a case for reform, suggesting the Department of Justice should examine ‘the appropriateness or lawfulness of state election guidance.’ It references the assistance Pennsylvania provided to local election officials on the use of provisional ballots. Provisional ballots serve as a backup voting method when a poll worker is uncertain of a voter’s registration status. Democrats are trying to frame these allegations as an attempt to disenfranchise Pennsylvania voters.
Project 2025 condemns the guidance as illegal, asserting that the Pennsylvania election chief attempted to ‘sidestep state law.’ It hence concludes a transfer of prosecuting authority to DOJ’s Criminal Division as a necessity to enforce the ‘rule of law.’ Critics may oppose this stance; however, they are most likely a vocal minority shrouded by liberal bias.
Boockvar, the former election chief, insisted that the suggested practices are both legal and optional. However, such insistence does little to alleviate suspicion from conservatives who often view liberal policies with a healthy dose of skepticism. Key concerns remain about the integrity of our democratic processes and the future of our republic.