close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

    • Trump’s border, CIA employees contributed to Project 2025
    asane

    Trump’s border, CIA employees contributed to Project 2025

    Online Niel Posted on

    play

    Claim: Trump hired ‘the guy who wrote’ Project 2025

    A Facebook post from November 12 (direct link, archive link) claims a person with ties to a controversial document is among President-elect Donald Trump’s appointments ahead of his second term.

    “The guy who said he knows nothing about Project 2025 just announced that he’s hiring the guy who wrote Project 2025,” the post read.

    Other versions of the claim have circulated widely on facebook and X, formerly Twitter.

    More from the fact-checking team: How we select and research claims | Newsletter by e-mail | Facebook page

    Our Rating: Partially False

    By the time the claim was submitted on November 12, Trump had selected two Project 2025 affiliates to join his administration. But it’s not fair to describe someone as “the guy who wrote Project 2025,” because the document reflects the combined effort of a range of conservative organizations and writers.

    Border Czar nominee, CIA director linked to Project 2025

    Project 2025 is a collaborative effort of the Heritage Foundation and over 100 other conservative organizations presenting policy recommendations that would be effective review of the federal government if implemented.

    trump card he tried to distance himself of this in the months before the elections. He claimed he “knows nothing about Project 2025” in a Truth Social post and said he had not read and had no intention of reading the document in a debate on September 10 with Vice President Kamala Harris.

    That said, plenty of current and former Trump staffers have been involved in the project, and Trump has publicly promoted proposals similar to Project 2025 because USA TODAY previously reported.

    Fact checking: No, the Heritage Foundation did not endorse Kamala Harris for President

    And some of Trump’s appointments have known ties to the project.

    Trump named Tom Homan, a former border patrol agent who previously served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as his “border czar” on Nov. 10, two days before the post was shared, as reported by USA TODAY. It’s not an official job title at the Department of Homeland Security, but it means Homan will oversee the “mass deportation” effort. Trump has pledged to implement it in his second presidency.

    Homan, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundationis listed as a contributor to Project 2025. Also listed as a contributor is former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, whom Trump selected to serve as CIA director on November 12.

    The document does not specify which aspects of its proposals involved Homan and Ratcliffe.

    Project 2025 also says there is “no unanimity among contributors or the organizations with which they are affiliated on the recommendations.”

    Trump’s other selections made before the Facebook statement was posted, incl Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff and Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviserare not identified as contributors to Project 2025.

    Kevin Roberts the president of the Heritage Foundation which was mentioned as one of the The main architects of Project 2025wrote the foreword to Document of over 900 pagesnot. He had not been appointed to a position in the Trump administration since November 15.

    USA TODAY debunked a number of claims related to Project 2025, including false claims that calls for shutting down FEMAthat proposes a military draft for all public school seniors and calling close the National Hurricane Center.

    The Heritage Foundation declined to comment on the claim. USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

    Check your facts also addressed the request.

    Our fact-checking sources

    Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

    USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to impartiality, fairness and transparency. Our fact-checking activity is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

    Online Niel
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like