Donald Trump’s attempts to distance himself from Project 2025—the unpopular right-wing policy agenda—suffered another blow on Monday night.
Paul Dans, the former director of Project 2025, admitted in an interview with CNN that he has visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and resort “several” times and meets “from time to time” with senior Trump campaign officials, like adviser Susie Wiles, though not specifically at Trump’s Florida estate. had interactions with senior Trump campaign officials.
Dans also attempted to downplay his direct interactions with Trump himself but conceded that the two recently met in person at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.
Dans led the team that created Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank. He stepped down from his position in July, saying that he planned to focus on assisting Trump win the election.
But Project 2025 has been a hindrance to Trump.
The plan calls for purging the federal government of experts in their fields and replacing them with Trump loyalists. It also seeks to severely limit access to abortion, deport immigrants en masse, and curtail voting rights, among many other extremist positions.
Voters don’t like it.
Among those who had heard of Project 2025, 62% of registered voters said they somewhat or strongly oppose Project 2025, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll. Additionally, 72% of those aware of the authoritarian agenda said they believe Trump would try to enact some or all of the policies in the plan.
Similarly, a recent University of Massachusetts Amherst/YouGov poll showed widespread opposition to the plan’s goals.
“Even former Trump voters exhibit opposition to many of these policies, a bad omen for the Republican Party and Trump campaign,” poll director Tatishe Nteta said in a statement.
Trump has tried hard to distance himself from the plan, repeatedly claiming that he had no connection to the project and was ignorant of its ideas. The candidate’s actions have led to a bitter dispute now playing out in public.
Dans has been critical of the Trump campaign and recently told The New York Times that the campaign had committed “malpractice” in being unprepared for the shift from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Dans also called on Trump to replace Wiles and former “Swift Boat” operative Chris LaCivita, another senior adviser to the campaign.
Democrats have been hammering at Project 2025 for months, highlighting the extremism of the policy ideas and the extensive connections to Trump and his inner circle, with at least 140 people involved with Project 2025 having ties to Trump, according to CNN.
Harris released her policy plans for the country on Monday in a document titled “A New Way Forward.” On a host of issues, the vice president contrasted her approach to “Trump’s Project 2025 agenda.”
The revelations in Dans’ CNN interview will make it harder for Trump to deny the connections between the plan and his political aspirations.
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