As Donald Trump transitions into his second term, his personnel choices reveal a striking paradox at the heart of his administration-in-waiting. Publicly, Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s sweeping manifesto for remaking the federal government. Yet behind the scenes, the architects of this controversial plan are lining up for senior roles in the next administration.
Project 2025 is no ordinary policy document. At 922 pages, it outlines a granular, unapologetically conservative blueprint for dismantling what its authors call the “unaccountable administrative state.” From the Department of Justice to the Treasury, the plan proposes nothing less than a structural upheaval of federal governance. During the campaign, Trump treated the plan as toxic, with advisers labeling it “radioactive” and insisting he had “nothing to do” with it. Now, with his second inauguration weeks away, Trump’s personnel decisions suggest a different story.
Take Russ Vought, a pivotal figure in Project 2025’s development. As the former director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, Vought authored the plan’s chapter on the Executive Office of the President and helped craft its detailed roadmap for the first 180 days of a new administration. Despite Trump’s campaign trail disavowals, Vought has been spotted at Mar-a-Lago, meeting with top advisers and undergoing vetting for a potential cabinet-level position. His return to government—whether in his old role or another top economic post—would make him one of the most visible links between Project 2025 and Trump’s second term.
Similarly, Gene Hamilton, another key contributor to the plan, is reportedly under consideration for a senior legal role at the Department of Justice. Hamilton’s Project 2025 chapter lambastes the DOJ as a “captured” institution overrun by “radical Left ideologues” and calls for a sweeping overhaul of its operations, including reviews of active FBI investigations. Such proposals dovetail neatly with Trump’s long-standing grievances about the DOJ, making Hamilton an ideological match for the administration’s priorities.
What explains this apparent contradiction between Trump’s campaign rhetoric and his personnel choices? The answer lies in Trump’s characteristic strategy of ambiguity. By disavowing Project 2025 during the campaign, he shielded himself from critiques of its more contentious proposals. Now, as president-elect, he can quietly incorporate its ideas through the individuals he appoints, ensuring that its vision permeates his administration without formally embracing the plan itself.
This tactical flexibility, however, is not without risk. Project 2025’s proposals are radical in scope, advocating for a reimagining of federal institutions that will inevitably provoke fierce resistance. Congress, the judiciary, and the entrenched bureaucracy are unlikely to acquiesce to such sweeping changes without a fight. Moreover, the growing presence of Project 2025’s contributors within the administration will make it increasingly difficult for Trump to maintain his public distance from the plan.
Reed Rubinstein, another Project 2025 contributor reportedly in line for a top position at the Treasury Department, exemplifies this challenge. Rubinstein’s association with the plan underscores the degree to which its ideas and personnel are shaping the contours of Trump’s second-term agenda. The more such figures populate his administration, the harder it becomes to argue that Project 2025 is irrelevant to Trump’s governing philosophy.
Ultimately, the personnel decisions being made during this transition period underscore a fundamental truth of Washington: personnel is policy. In Project 2025, Trump’s second administration has a ready-made playbook for achieving its goals. But in adopting its architects, the administration risks tethering itself to a vision that is both ambitious and polarizing.
For Trump, the opportunity to reshape the federal government is tantalizing. But as he prepares to take office once more, the question is whether he can implement the sweeping changes proposed by Project 2025 without becoming ensnared by the controversies they are sure to ignite. If the transition process is any indication, the line between distancing and embracing may soon prove unsustainable. And for a president who thrives on contradiction, the next four years promise to test the limits of that balancing act.
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