Why Project 2025 Should Concern Us All
Why This Report Is an Essential and Timely Read
Introduction
Project 2025 is a nearly 900-page policy agenda produced by the Heritage Foundation with contributions from more than 140 former Trump administration officials (AP News, 2024; Center for American Progress, 2024). Supporters describe it as a plan to reshape the federal government along conservative lines, with a focus on centralizing executive power (Heritage Foundation, 2024). Critics, however, warn that the initiative, combined with Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results, amounts to a blueprint for undermining constitutional democracy (American Civil Liberties Union, 2024; Raskin, 2024). This report compiles expert commentary, legal analysis, and recent case precedents to explain why some argue that Trump and his allies behind Project 2025 could be engaged in potentially seditious or conspiratorial conduct.
Ten Reasons Critics Cite
1. Replacement of the Rule of Law with Ideology – Project 2025 seeks to “replace the rule of law with right-wing ideals,” which critics say risks elevating ideology above constitutional constraints (American Civil Liberties Union, 2024).
2. Promotion of Unconstitutional Policies – Analysts note that the plan contains policies likely to violate constitutional rights and established law, including restrictions on civil liberties (American Civil Liberties Union, 2024).
3. Erosion of Checks and Balances – The initiative has been described as an “authoritarian playbook” designed to weaken Congress and the courts in favor of unchecked presidential authority (Center for American Progress, 2024).
4. Drive Toward an Imperial Presidency – Critics warn that Project 2025 envisions a president with “almost unlimited power,” erasing structural safeguards that prevent executive overreach (Center for American Progress, 2024).
5. Purging Civil Servants – The plan proposes to eliminate nonpartisan protections for federal workers and replace them with political loyalists, which Rep. Jamie Raskin argues would enable “postconstitutional actions” if ordered (Inside Higher Ed, 2024).
6. Politicization of the Justice Department – Heritage’s proposals call for weakening the DOJ and the FBI's independence, effectively turning law enforcement into a political weapon for the executive, which former Deputy Attorney General Donald Ayer warned is “the antithesis of the rule of law” (The Guardian, 2023).
7. Suppression of Dissent and Free Speech – The ACLU (2024) warns that the plan contemplates punishing opponents and controlling the press, a direct violation of the First Amendment.
8. Encouragement of Political Violence – Trump has vowed to pardon January 6 rioters and suggested violence may be justified if he loses again, which observers argue removes deterrents against future insurrections (The Washington Post, 2024).
9. Continuity with the 2020 Election Subversion – Critics like Raskin (2024) see Project 2025 as a continuation of Trump’s failed 2020 coup attempt, designed to ensure loyal operatives could override lawful election outcomes in the future (Inside Higher Ed, 2024).
10. Involvement of January 6 Co-Conspirators – Figures such as John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark, both tied to the 2020 election subversion effort, are affiliated with organizations helping to shape Project 2025 (Media Matters, 2023). Their involvement suggests to critics an ongoing conspiracy to undermine democratic institutions.
Legal Framework: Seditious & Criminal Conspiracy
Seditious Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 2384)
Federal law defines seditious conspiracy as an agreement between two or more people to use force to overthrow, oppose, or hinder U.S. authority or laws, or to seize federal property unlawfully (U.S. Code, 2023). Conviction can result in up to 20 years in prison (LegalClarity, 2025; FederalCharges, n.d.).
Recent prosecutions—including the 18-year sentence of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes (Wikipedia, 2025) and the 22-year sentence of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio (Associated Press, 2025)—demonstrate how courts treat organized, violent efforts to obstruct government functions as serious crimes.
General Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371)
This statute criminalizes agreements to commit any federal offense or to defraud the United States, provided an overt act is taken to advance the conspiracy (U.S. Code, 2023). Unlike seditious conspiracy, it does not require the use of force. Trump himself has been charged under § 371 in the 2023 federal indictment related to attempts to obstruct the 2020 election certification (The Washington Post, 2024). Critics argue that if Project 2025 were implemented as a coordinated scheme to undermine lawful elections or obstruct government functions, it could fall under this statute’s prohibitions.
Why This Report Is Timely and Essential
The report clarifies how Project 2025 proposes to subvert the rule of law and weaken checks on presidential power, echoing warnings from constitutional experts (Center for American Progress, 2024).
It situates the plan in the broader context of attempts to overturn the 2020 election, which Rep. Jamie Raskin (Inside Higher Ed, 2024) describes as a continuation of “postconstitutional” strategies.
By outlining the federal statutes on seditious and criminal conspiracy, it enables readers to evaluate whether specific proposals could potentially cross into illegal or anti-democratic conduct (U.S. Code,2023).
The article draws attention to recent seditious conspiracy convictions of groups such as the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, highlighting the legal system’s willingness to prosecute conspiracies against democracy (Associated Press, 2025; Wikipedia, 2025).
With Project 2025 linked to figures involved in past election subversion efforts, the report provides a critical and timely warning about potential threats to the democratic process (Media Matters, 2023; The Washington Post, 2024).
References (APA 7th Edition)
American Civil Liberties Union. (2024, July 20). *Project 2025, explained*. ACLU.
https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/project-2025-explained
Associated Press. (2024, August). *How Project 2025’s rightward vision became a flashpoint in this year’s election*. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-heritage-trump-2024-
Associated Press. (2025, September 5). *More than 1,500 charged in Jan. 6 riot; high-profile leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy*. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/d8e4549d92feb44bee76ffb2f7758914
Center for American Progress. (2024, October 1). *Project 2025 would destroy the U.S. system of checks and balances and create an imperial presidency*. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025-would-destroy-u-s-system-of-checks-and-balances-and-create-u-s-imperial-presidency
Inside Higher Ed. (2024, July 11). *How Project 2025 could radically reshape higher ed*. https://www.in sidehighered.com/news/government/2024/07/11/how-project-2025-could-radically-reshape-higher-ed
Media Matters for America. (2023, August 2). *Two reported co-conspirators in Trump’s alleged coup plot are in organizations looking to staff his next administration*. https://www.mediamatters.org/trump-indictments/two-reported-co-conspirators-trumps-alleged-coup-plot-are-organizations-looking
The Washington Post. (2024, September 27). *Why the makers of “War Game” fear We are heading towards a second January 6th.https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/27/project-2025-trump-election/
Wikipedia. (2025). *Stewart Rhodes*. In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Rhodes
U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 2384. (2023). *Seditious conspiracy*. Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2384
U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 371. (2023). *Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the United States*. Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/371
Disclaimer
This document is for informational and educational purposes only. It summarizes publicly available reporting, expert commentary, and legal analyses on Project 2025, Donald Trump, and related concerns. It does not assert that any individual or organization has committed a crime. Legal determinations regarding seditious conspiracy or criminal conspiracy can only be made by courts and prosecutors through the due process of law. This content is not legal advice.
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