A British Take on the Trump-Heritage Foundation Rightwing Wishlist

A British Take on the Trump-Heritage Foundation Rightwing Wishlist

Project 25 – Retribution and Autocracy on Steroids

“The superficiality of the facts and the vagueness of the crimes magnify the harm that Democrats have inflicted on our political norms… Repairing this breach of constitutional norms will require Republicans to follow the age-old maxim: Do unto others as they have done unto you… In order to prevent the case against Trump from assuming a permanent place in the American political system, Republicans will have to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents.” 

John Yoo, UC (Berkeley) law professor — known for the Department of Justice “torture memos” that he wrote supporting waterboarding, National Review (May 29th)

The summary seems: Project 25 or democracy, pick one; they are mutually exclusive. At its most basic level, the rightwing population in the United States is not coming from a good place. For white Christian nationalists (or their followers), there is deep fear that they are being “replaced” by what they see is a rising un-American “majority of minorities.” Thus, if such minorities are to be accorded a clear right to vote and fundamental citizenship equality, by definition, that traditional white constituency would no longer be in control.

And either favorable and partisan courts must cooperate in disenfranchising these minorities, under some revisionist interpretation of the Constitution or that Constitution must go and be replaced by a white Christian nationalist autocrat, unencumbered by those guardrails. A dictator who can obliterate the threat, impose retribution on those opposing the underlying premise of white rule, disassemble the bureaucracy that is designed to foster equality and use the military to impose the mandated changes, by force if necessary.

Last time, when Donald Trump took the helm as President of the United States, he was as surprised as anyone at the results. But over time, a worshiping cult following, and too much adulation and boot licking among an entire political party harnessed to do his bidding and legitimize his obvious falsehoods became the new normal. Gas lighting Rashomon was born.

And this time, if Trump wins, there would be no waiting around to begin implementing the white Christian nationalist agenda (MAGA power): there is a 900+ page detailed plan (labeled Project 25)… and, additionally, a very detailed loyalist list of thousands of vetted and pre-qualified “candidates” programmed to take over. The same organization (the Heritage Foundation) that prepared the list of “acceptable” rightwing nominees for the federal bench, notably including the Supreme Court, that Trump actually nominated… was now dedicated to staffing the entire federal government. So, if you loved the recent Supreme Court rulings, if Trump recaptures the White House, you ain’t nuffin’ yet!

I’ve read a lot of summaries about this terrifying document, but the most cogent review I have seen comes from Mike Wendling, writing for the June 13th BBC. He starts with this simple observation: “The [main GOP/Trump] blueprint, called Project 2025 and produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation, is one of several think-tank proposals for Trump’s platform… Over more than 900 pages, it calls for sacking thousands of civil servants, expanding the power of the president, dismantling the Department of Education and other federal agencies, and sweeping tax cuts… The Project 2025 document outlines four pillars: restore the family as the centrepiece of American life; dismantle the administrative state; defend the nation’s sovereignty and borders; and secure God-given individual rights to live freely…

“Government… Project 2025 proposes that the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies such as the Department of Justice, be placed under direct presidential control – a controversial idea known as ‘unitary executive theory’… In practice, that would streamline decision-making, allowing the president to directly implement policies in a number of areas… The proposals also call for eliminating job protections for thousands of government-employees, who could then be replaced by political appointees… The document labels the FBI a ‘bloated, arrogant, increasingly lawless organization’ and calls for drastic overhauls of this and other federal agencies, including eliminating the Department of Education…

“Immigration… Increased funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border – one of Trump’s signature proposals in 2016 - is proposed in the document… However, more prominent are the consolidation of various US immigration agencies and a large expansion in their powers… Other proposals include increasing fees on immigrants and allowing fast-tracked applications for migrants who pay a premium…

“Climate and Economy… The document proposes slashing federal money for research and investment in renewable energy, and calls for the next president to ‘stop the war on oil and natural gas’... Carbon-reduction goals would be replaced by efforts to increase energy production and security… The paper sets out two competing visions on tariffs, and is divided on whether the next president should try to boost free trade or raise barriers to exports…

“Tech and education… Under the proposals, pornography would be banned, and tech and telecoms companies that facilitate access to such content would be shut down… The document calls for school choice and parental control over schools, and takes aim at what it calls ‘woke propaganda’...It proposes to eliminate a long list of terms from all laws and federal regulations, including ‘sexual orientation’, ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’, ‘gender equality’, ‘abortion’ and ‘reproductive rights’…

“Many of the proposals would face immediate legal challenges if implemented.” It is a God-fearing checklist any evangelical would adore. It is as open and obvious about creating a new autocracy as was Hitler’s Mein Kampf. And Donald Trump has used so many of the scary words directly himself: dictator, deep state, I am your retribution, vermin, the DOJ are dirty no good bastards… plus, as the above John Yoo quote follows the Trump manifesto, Joe Biden, Alvin Bragg, Jack Smith, Letitia James, Juan Merchan and even Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton face would criminal prosecution if Trump is reelected.

I’m Peter Dekom, and if you believe in democracy and expect the United States to protect that underlying premise, if Trump is elected, you just might be the immigrant at some other international border seeking asylum!