Tag: DEI

Watching Project 2025 Come Alive













Actions taken by the Trump administration in 2025 and the policy recommendations outlined in Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership, compiled by ChatGPT using “All of the Trump Administration’s Major Moves” and “Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership,” a 900-page document compiled by dozens of Trump loyalists through the Heritage Foundation. 





1. Federal Workforce Reduction





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Ordered mass firings at the Pentagon, laying off 5,400 civilian workers​.
      • 




    • Directed plans for large-scale federal workforce cuts, expanding Elon Musk’s authority over hiring decisions​.
      • 




    • Laid off thousands of employees across multiple agencies, including the IRS, Education Department, and USAID​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Advocates for reducing the size of the federal government and curbing the administrative state​.
      • 




    • Calls for appointing personnel aligned with conservative values to implement these reductions​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 18, Dept. of Labor and Related Agencies
      • 

    

    • 






2. Restructuring USAID





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Fired thousands of USAID employees and moved to dismantle the agency​.
      • 




    • Put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of USAID, signaling a shift in its mission​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Criticizes USAID as an overly bureaucratic agency that should be restructured or eliminated​
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 9, Agency for International Development.
      • 

    

    • 






3. Rolling Back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Ordered the removal of pronouns from federal employee email signatures​.
      • 




    • Ended race-based programs in education​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for dismantling DEI programs across government institutions and schools​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 18, Department of Labor and Related Agencies
      • 

    

    • 






4. Immigration and Border Policy





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Revoked deportation protections for Venezuelans​.
      • 




    • Transported migrants to Guantánamo Bay​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Advocates for stricter border security and detention policies​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 5, Department of Homeland Security
      • 

    

    • 






5. Trade and Tariffs





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum​.
      • 




    • Announced new “reciprocal” tariffs based on foreign trade practices​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for aggressive trade policies to counter foreign economic threats​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 26, Trade
      • 

    

    • 






6. Health Policy Changes





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Blocked funds for biomedical research​.
      • 




    • Ordered the Health Department to scrutinize vaccine schedules and psychiatric medications​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for re-evaluating funding for health programs, particularly those linked to progressive policies​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 14, Department of Health and Human Services
      • 

    

    • 






7. Reshaping the Intelligence Community and Law Enforcement





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Planned a purge of FBI employees involved in January 6 investigations​.
      • 




    • Appointed a right-wing commentator as FBI deputy director​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Suggests replacing FBI and intelligence officials with personnel aligned with conservative priorities​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 5, Department of Homeland Security
      • 

    

    • 






8. Judiciary and DOJ Restructuring





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Purged FBI officials involved in January 6 investigations​.
      • 




    • Appointed a right-wing commentator as FBI deputy director​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for eliminating “politicized” officials in the FBI and DOJ, particularly those associated with previous investigations into Trump​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 17, Department of Justice
      • 

    

    • 






9. Government Overhaul and Presidential Power Expansion





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Issued an executive order expanding presidential control over independent agencies​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Proposes increasing presidential power over executive agencies, reducing the independence of institutions like the Federal Reserve and FTC​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 2, Executive Office of the President
      • 

    

    • 






10. Climate and Energy Policy





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Approved oil drilling in protected areas​.
      • 




    • Withdrew from international climate agreements​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Advocates for revoking Biden-era climate policies and reinstating Trump’s energy dominance agenda​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 12, Department of Energy and EPA
      • 

    

    • 






11. Foreign Policy and National Security





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Opposed a U.N. resolution demanding Russian withdrawal from Ukraine​.
      • 




    • Resumed high-level talks with Russia without Ukraine’s participation​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for shifting focus away from Ukraine and prioritizing U.S. interests over foreign alliances​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 6, Department of State
      • 

    

    • 






12. Education and Cultural Policies





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Issued guidance recognizing only two sexes​.
      • 




    • Threatened to cut federal funding for schools with race-based DEI programs​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Proposes rolling back gender identity policies and ending race-conscious education initiatives​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 11, Department of Education
      • 

    

    • 






13. Election and Voting Policies





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Ordered a review of election security efforts and reassigned officials involved in investigating foreign interference​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for tightening election security measures and eliminating federal oversight that could be perceived as undermining state-controlled election processes​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 29, Federal Election Commission
      • 

    

    • 






14. Defense and Military





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Ordered the Pentagon to plan 8% budget cuts over the next five years​.
      • 




    • Reinstated service members dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Advocates for a leaner, more strategically focused military with reduced bureaucracy​.
      • 




    • Calls for eliminating “woke” policies, including vaccine mandates for service members​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 4, Department of Defense
      • 

    

    • 






15. Gender and Social Policies





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Restricted gender-affirming treatments for minors​.
      • 




    • Moved toward pushing transgender individuals out of the military​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Supports policies that define gender as strictly male or female and eliminate federal support for gender-affirming medical care​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 14, DHHS
      • 

    

    • 






16.Foreign Aid and Global Engagement





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Froze foreign aid payments​.
      • 




    • Halted global mine-clearing programs​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for cutting back on foreign aid, particularly to programs it deems wasteful or contrary to U.S. interests​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 9, Agency for International Development
      • 

    

    • 






17. Government Workforce Overhaul





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Encouraged millions of federal workers to resign in exchange for continued pay​.
      • 




    • Laid off thousands of employees across multiple agencies​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for dramatically reducing the federal workforce and replacing civil servants with political appointees who align with the administration’s priorities​.
      • 




    • Source: Chapter 18, Department of Labor and Related Agencies
      • 

    

    • 






18.  Education Policy





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Sought to expand access to private school vouchers​.
      • 

    

    • 






       •.    Project 2025 Recommendation:





    

  • Supports increasing school choice programs and promoting voucher systems as an alternative to public education​.
    • 




  • Source: Chapter 11, Department of Education
    • 






19. Federal Regulatory Power





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Ordered an executive review of independent agencies, asserting presidential authority over their spending​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for curbing the power of independent federal agencies and consolidating control under the executive branch​.
      • 

    

    • 






20. Overhauling the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)





    

  • Trump Administration Action:

      

    • Issued an executive order limiting the enforcement power of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and expanding right-to-work protections​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Project 2025 Recommendation:

      

    • Calls for restructuring the NLRB to limit its authority, reduce regulatory burdens on businesses, and shift power away from unions​.
      • 

    

    • 




  • Source: Chapter 18, Department of Labor and Related Agencies
    • 






The Impact So Far





As of February 26, 2025, the Trump administration has implemented several policies aligned with the Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership blueprint. While it’s early to fully assess their long-term impacts, initial observations indicate notable effects in various sectors:





1. Economic and Consumer Confidence





Recent data shows a significant decline in consumer confidence, with the index dropping to its lowest point in eight months. This downturn is largely attributed to concerns over potential inflationary pressures stemming from the administration’s policies, including proposed tariffs and budget cuts. Such apprehensions suggest that these economic strategies may be contributing to public uncertainty and market volatility.  reuters.com





2. Research and Development (R&D) Funding





The administration’s decision to reduce funding for federal research institutions, such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, has raised concerns about the future of American innovation. Experts warn that these cutbacks could hinder scientific progress and diminish the nation’s competitive edge in technology and healthcare sectors.  ft.com





3. Healthcare and Social Services





A narrowly passed budget proposal includes significant cuts to Medicaid, totaling approximately $800 billion. This reduction could potentially impact millions of low-income individuals who rely on Medicaid for healthcare services. Additionally, the proposal outlines $2 trillion in spending reductions over the next decade, which may affect various social programs. theguardian.com





4. Deregulation and Executive Authority





The issuance of an executive order titled “Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Deregulatory Initiative” aims to rescind or modify existing regulations. This move is intended to reduce bureaucratic oversight but has sparked debate over potential risks to public health, safety, and environmental protections. skadden.com





5. Public Opinion and Political Climate





Public sentiment appears divided regarding these policy changes. While a significant portion of Republican supporters express optimism about the administration’s direction, a substantial number of Democrats anticipate negative outcomes. This polarization reflects broader debates about the potential benefits and drawbacks of the current policy trajectory. pewresearch.org





In summary, the initial implementation of policies aligned with Project 2025 has led to measurable shifts in economic indicators, funding priorities, and public opinion. Ongoing analysis will be essential to fully understand the long-term consequences of these actions across various sectors.

	


	
	






	
	

		
Project 2025: Now We’re Seeing Behind the Curtain of the Plan No One Read
	


	

		











Graphic by ChatGPT





By Al InCognito and Stuart Warner





When I first sat down to read Project 2025 last summer, I thought, this must be what hell feels like.





Not the fire-and-brimstone kind of hell, but a bureaucratic hell – the kind where you’re trapped in a DMV line forever, forced to listen to a Heritage Foundation intern explain why civil service protections are an existential threat to freedom.





But I kept reading. And somewhere around the section on dismantling the Justice Department, I realized something:





This wasn’t just another white paper. It was a roadmap for a hostile takeover. A 900-page manifesto detailing how to replace independent government agencies with political enforcers. How to fire thousands of career civil servants and stack the courts with ideological warriors. How to rewrite the rulebook so the next Republican president (Trump or otherwise) wouldn’t just hold power – but keep it permanently.





I tried to sound the alarm as did so many others.





I used an AI writing assistant to try to make sense of the document’s mud-thick prose, summarizing nearly 20 chapters of slop. I published each summary on several social media platforms.  I sent them to every journalist I knew.





And very few cared.





Maybe because Donald Trump said he “knew nothing about it.”





And like so many times before, people believed him.





We Should Have Seen This Coming





I mean, it’s not like we haven’t seen this playbook before. The slow erosion of rights disguised as “law and order” or “government reform.”





Hell, I lived it.





Take the time I got stopped by a cop in the 1980s.  I later wrote a column about it for the Akron Beacon Journal, My Crime? Walking While Looking Hispanic.





I was finishing a six-mile run in Akron’s Highland Square when a police cruiser screeched onto the sidewalk and pinned me against a chain-link fence. The officer jumped out, hand on his holster.





“We got a report that a Puerto Rican man robbed a store near here,” he said. “You fit the description.”





Right. Because the description was “Hispanic-looking guy.” Never mind that I was shirtless, drenched in sweat, and wearing nothing but running shorts and sneakers.





“Where would I have put the loot,” I joked.





He was not amused.





The officer demanded my ID. I had none. No pockets, remember?





Then I spotted something. A newspaper box on the street corner – back when we still had those. And right there, on the front page of the Akron Beacon Journal, was my face touting my daily column.





“I don’t have ID,” I told him, pointing. “But that’s my picture. Right there.”





The cop stared at the newspaper boxr. Stared at me. Back at the box.





He sighed. Then chuckled and called his dispatcher.  “My mistake.  I caught a columnist, not a crook.”





If that had happened today – under the kind of Project 2025-style immigration crackdowns some states are already adopting – would I have gotten off so easily?





Would I have been detained, forced to “prove” my citizenship because some cop thought a man with my dark features should come with a green card?





That’s the thing about these policies. They sound like they’re about “security” or “efficiency”—but what they’re really about is power. Who has it. Who loses it. And who gets to decide what “American” looks like.





We Laughed. They Didn’t.





I used to joke about Project 2025.





I wrote headlines like “Think Trump Was Tough on Immigration Last Time? Hold His Beer.” Thought maybe, just maybe, people would pay attention if I added some punchlines to the political apocalypse.





I should’ve known better.





Because here’s the thing: The people behind this plan weren’t joking.





They were dead serious when they proposed firing up to 50,000 civil servants and replacing them with political loyalists.





They were dead serious about abolishing the DOJ’s independence so career prosecutors couldn’t investigate their friends.





They were dead serious about reshaping the federal courts so that no law – not voting rights, not reproductive rights, not even the ability of government to regulate pollution – would stand in their way.





This wasn’t just a wishlist. It was a step-by-step guide to one-party rule.





And yet, we laughed.





Kinda like when I wrote about Hudson’s ice-fishing prostitution scare.





Remember that one? The mayor of Hudson, Ohio, stood up at a city council meeting and warned that allowing ice-fishing shanties could lead to prostitution.





I and others mocked him mercilessly. Hudson became a national punchline.





And yet… wasn’t that the same town where school board members got death threats because they refused to ban books?





Wasn’t that the same town where officials tried to silence a Black veteran for talking about the origins of Memorial Day?





We laughed at the shanty-town sex panic.





Meanwhile, incidents like these in Hudson kept becoming a testing ground for America’s next wave of manufactured culture wars.





And now, with America already badly bloodied by  of these battles, the next phase of the playbook is unfolding in real-time.





The Man Behind the Curtain





Shockingly we saw behind the Project 2025 curtain this week when Trump blamed DEI for the tragic crash between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet. (Some conservatives like to mock the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion as DIE. Funny folks.)





This scapegoating isn’t just a spur-of-the-moment reaction; it aligns seamlessly with the objectives outlined in Project 2025. This conservative blueprint advocates for dismantling DEI programs across federal agencies, arguing that such initiatives are wasteful and promote undesired preferential treatment. The plan calls for terminating DEI-related positions and eliminating funding for programs that promote diversity and inclusion.





By attributing the plane crash to DEI efforts, President Trump is not only deflecting blame but also reinforcing the Project 2025 agenda. This narrative serves to justify the administration’s aggressive rollback of DEI programs, framing them as not only unnecessary but also potentially dangerous.





It’s crucial to recognize that such claims lack substantiation. Experts have pointed out that there is no evidence linking DEI initiatives to compromised safety within the FAA or any other agency.





The president’s assertions appear to be a strategic move to further a political agenda rather than a reflection of factual circumstances.





In essence, the president’s response to the tragedy is a calculated effort to advance the Project 2025 vision, using a national disaster to undermine DEI efforts and reshape federal policies in line with a conservative framework.





So no, Trump didn’t need to read Project 2025 because it was written for him—and for anyone else willing to wield it.





I just wish now that I had tried even harder to get folks to read about it last summer. Because the people behind this plan were counting on one thing: The American public wouldn’t pay attention until it was too late.





Sadly, they were probably right.





Stuart Warner is a former columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal and Phoenix New Times.  He was a senior editor for more than three decades in Akron, Phoenix, Cleveland, Seattle and Lexington, Ky.






	


	
	






	
	

		
Project 2025, Chapter 18: We Are the Party of (White) Workers (Who Don’t Join Unions)
	


	

		









(This is the 13th  in a series of AI-generated analyses of the right-wing manifesto “Project 2025: Mandate for Leadership, the Conservative Promise.“ Some chapters are reviewed out of order. Comments in italics are mine)





Project 2025’s proposed labor reforms signal a significant shift in the American workplace, with potentially sweeping consequences for unions and diversity. The plan, framed as a return to “The Conservative Promise,” aims to empower individual workers and strengthen families, but it simultaneously seeks to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and curtail union power.





The proposed changes include eliminating racial classification data collection and critical race theory training, potentially leaving systemic discrimination unchecked. Unions would face increased scrutiny, restrictions on organizing tactics, and potential for weakened bargaining power.





The plan touts support for workers and families, but critics argue these reforms could disproportionately harm marginalized groups and erode hard-won labor protections, leaving workers more vulnerable to exploitation and widening existing inequalities.





What It Means for Unions





The plan’s emphasis on individual worker empowerment and family-centered policies casts a shadow over organized labor. Key proposals, such as the elimination of “card check” unionization and the “contract bar” rule, coupled with potential waivers for state and local governments to bypass federal labor laws, could significantly weaken unions’ ability to organize and bargain effectively.





These measures align with a broader conservative agenda to reduce union power, which could leave workers more reliant on individual negotiation and potentially vulnerable to employer overreach.





The proposal to increase financial disclosure requirements for unions, while presented as a transparency measure, could be perceived as an additional burden aimed at undermining public trust in unions. Additionally, the focus on addressing unions’ “duty of fair representation” concerning political activities could further limit unions’ ability to advocate for broader social and economic issues that impact their members.





Diversity Initiatives Dismantled





Project 2025’s disdain for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives is clear. It proposes eliminating racial classification data collection and critical race theory training, arguing that they promote discrimination.





This move could make it harder to identify and address systemic inequalities in the workplace. The elimination of disparate impact liability, a legal theory used to challenge practices that disproportionately harm certain groups, could further hinder efforts to create equitable workplaces.





The plan’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights is equally alarming. By restricting the application of the Bostock v. Clayton County decision, it aims to narrow protections for LGBTQ+ workers. While emphasizing religious freedom for employers, it risks opening the door to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This could create hostile work environments for LGBTQ+ individuals and reverse hard-won progress in workplace equality.





A Precarious Future for Workers





Despite the rhetoric of empowering workers, Project 2025’s proposals could leave many vulnerable. Its push for deregulation and reduced federal oversight could weaken enforcement of labor laws, leaving workers more susceptible to wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and other abuses. The emphasis on state-level waivers could lead to a patchwork of worker protections, with some states offering far less security than others.





The plan’s focus on “family-sustaining jobs” is laudable, but it fails to acknowledge the diversity of modern families. Its emphasis on traditional gender roles and opposition to abortion access could disproportionately harm women and families who rely on comprehensive reproductive healthcare.





Moreover, the proposed restrictions on immigration could exacerbate labor shortages in certain sectors, potentially leading to higher prices for consumers. The plan’s emphasis on hiring American workers, while appealing to some, could also limit opportunities for immigrants and refugees seeking a better life in the U.S.





Conclusion





From a labor perspective, Project 2025’s DOL chapter paints a bleak picture for unions and diversity. It may appeal to some who prioritize deregulation and traditional family values, but its potential impact on workers’ rights, workplace equity, and the overall well-being of the American workforce is deeply concerning.





Journalists have a duty to scrutinize these proposals and hold policymakers accountable for their potential consequences. The future of American labor is at stake, and we must ensure that any changes to labor policy truly benefit all workers, regardless of their background or beliefs.





Scary Quotes





“Crudely categorizing employees by race or ethnicity fails to recognize the diversity of the American workforce and forces individuals into categories that do not fully reflect their racial and ethnic heritage.” (In other words, we don’t need to collect all this data for monitoring equal opportunity and identifying disparities.)





“The President should issue an executive order banning, and Congress should pass a law prohibiting the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to fund, all critical race theory training (CRT).” (Enough said?)





“The next Administration should make new options available to workers and push Congress to pass labor reforms that create non-union ‘employee involvement organizations’ as well as a mechanism for worker representation on corporate boards. “ (We don’t need no stinkin’ unions.)





About the Author





Jonathan Berry, an attorney, led the Labor Department’s regulatory office under Trump. During that time, Berry helped deny guaranteed overtime pay to millions of people and made it harder for workers to hold companies like McDonald’s liable for actions taken by individual stores.





Read the Entire Series





https://thewritecoach.blog/reject-project-2025/















Read the Entire Document Here (If You Dare)





2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf