PJT 2025 PPL
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tool of ppl: Project 2025
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TOOL
Material Contributors - What Does Project 2025 Say?
MASTER LIST OF PPL AND ORG AFFIL
List of contributors to Project 2025 - Wikipedia
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Directed by the Heritage Foundation, the 2025 Presidential Transition Project (or Project 2025) rests on "four pillars": a policy guide, a "conservative LinkedIn", a "Presidential Administration Academy",[1] and a "playbook".[2] The policy guide has been published in April 2024[3] as a volume of the Mandate for Leadership series, under the name The Conservative Promise. Edited by Paul Dans and Steven Groves, the more than 900-page volume features 30 chapters written by 40 primary authors.[4]
More than 100 organizations, spanning from conservative to far-right,[5] have helped produce the Conservative Promise, and Project 2025 more generally.[6] The policy reforms promoted in it and its digest have gained traction during the 2024 US presidential election.[7] Many collaborators of Donald Trump have been tied to the project.[8][9][10]
Background
Trump attended an event for Heritage in Amelia Island, Florida, on April 21, 2022, and praised its forthcoming Project 2025, saying:[11]
[T]hey're going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do and what your movement will do when the American people give us a colossal mandate to save America and that's coming. That's coming. Because nobody can stand what's happening right now. Only a fool, only a fool or somebody that hates our country can like what's happening right now. Never been in this position before and already we know a very big part of our agenda.
During his 2024 political campaign Trump faced political pressure for his association with Project 2025; he started to disavow it by July.[12][13] Soon after, Dans resigned from Project 2025, a symbolic gesture since it published its deliverables, including a database of 10,000 conservative job candidates.[14] Dans later criticized senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita for 'historic campaign malpractice'.[15] LaCivita floated the idea that Project 2025 members would be barred from serving in the second Trump administration.[16]
On August 15, 2024, CNN published a video in which British journalists made Russell Vought reveal his policy preparation for a Trump presidency, his views on unitary executive theory, and his Christian nationalism.[17] While still distancing himself from Project 2025,[18] Trump headlined a Moms for Liberty event sponsored by Heritage at the end of August.[19]
Heritage stated that Trump has previously embraced many of the policy recommendations put forward by that organization. Several contributors to the project have held positions in one of Trump's political campaigns or his administrations.[20]
Advisory board
The Conservative Promise has an "Advisory board" section in its front matter.[21] Those featured in the Conservative promise with no collaborator are:
Alabama Policy Institute[22]
American Accountability Foundation
American Council of Trustees and Alumni
Center for Equal Opportunity
Concerned Women for America
Family Policy Alliance
First Liberty Institute
Forge Leadership Network
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Foundation for Government Accountability
Honest Elections Project
Institute for the American Worker
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
James Madison Institute
Leadership Institute
Liberty University
National Association of Scholars
National Center for Public Policy Research
Pacific Research Institute
Patrick Henry College
Personnel Policy Operations
Teneo Network
Young America's Foundation
Heritage maintained a website from April 2023 to March 2025.[23] The organizations listed during that time changed. The number listed in press releases varied from 21 in June 2022 to more than 100 in February 2024; after Trump's disavowal of Project 2025, many advisory board members were scrubbed from the website, including America First Legal, an organization founded by Stephen Miller.[24]
Authors
The 30 chapters of the Conservative Promise have been authored by 40 people. Many have contributed to chapters they have not authored. The Heritage president wrote the foreword, and one of its co-founders wrote the afterword. Of these authors and editors, the New York Times found that by October 2024, 18 have served in the first Trump administration.[10] The Revolving Door Project counted that 25 of the 30 chapters have been written by former Trump officials.[25] Since then other ties have been found.
Organizations marked with a dagger (†) are listed in the "Advisory board" section of the Conservative Promise.
| Name | Affiliations | Chapter or matter | Trump ties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daren Bakst | Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) †; Heartland Institute;[26] Federalist Society[27] | 10 – "Department of Agriculture"[28][29][30] | |
| Jonathan Berry | Heritage; † Boyden Gray; Federalist Society | 18 – "Department of Labor and Related Agencies"[31][32] | DOJ (2017–2018), DOL (2018–2020)[33][34][25] transition team (2024);[35] DOL (2025-)[36] |
| Robert Benedict Bowes | 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Consumer Financial Protection Bureau"[37] | Campaign director (2016),[38] HUD (2017–2021), OPM,[38] CFTC withdrawn nomination (2020)[39] | |
| Lindsey M. Burke | Heritage; † EdChoice[40] | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | ED (2025)[42] |
| David R. Burton | Heritage; † Federalist Society[43] | 22 – "Department of the Treasury";[44] 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Securities and Exchange Commission and Related Agencies";[45] 25 – "Small Business Administration" (contributor) | |
| Adam Candeub[46] | Federalist Society; Michigan State University | 30 – "Federal Trade Commission"[47] | DOC;[48][49] DOJ deputy associate attorney general;[50] FCC general counsel[51] |
| Dustin J. Carmack | Heritage †; Meta[52] | 7 – "Intelligence Community"[53] | DNI chief of staff[54] |
| Brendan Carr | Federal Communications Commission (FCC) | 28 – "Federal Communications Commission"[55][56] | FCC (2017–2027)[57][58] |
| Ben Carson | American Cornerstone Institute[59] † | 15 – "Department of Housing and Urban Development"[60] | HUD secretary;[61] Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission[62] |
| Ken Cuccinelli | Heritage †, visiting fellow | 5 – "Department of Homeland Security"[63] | USCIS director;[64] DHS deputy secretary[65] |
| Paul Dans | Heritage †: Project 2025 director (stepped down)[66][67] | 3 – "Central Personnel Agencies: Managing the Bureaucracy" ;[68] 6 – "Department of State" (contributor)[69] | HUD (2019);[14] OPM chief of staff (2020) |
| Rick Dearborn | Cypress Group | 1 – "White House Office"[70] | Transition team executive director (2016);[71] deputy chief of staff (2017–2018)[25][72] |
| Veronique de Rugy | Mercatus Center; Cato Institute | 23 – "Export-Import Bank / The Export-Import Bank Should be Abolished"[73] | |
| Donald J. Devine | The Fund for American Studies | 3 – "Central Personnel Agencies: Managing the Bureaucracy"[68] | 3 – "Central Personnel Agencies: Managing the Bureaucracy"[68] |
1 – "White House Office" (contributor)[74]
OPM advisor during the first administration[14]
| Edwin J. Feulner | Heritage † co-founder | Afterword – "Onward!"[75] | Transition team (2016)[76] | Transition team (2016)[76] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diana Furchtgott-Roth | Heritage † | 19 – "Department of Transportation"[77] | Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology[78] | Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology[78] |
| Thomas F. Gilman | American Center for Law & Justice † | 21 – "Department of Commerce"[79][80][81] | DOC chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration;[82] | DOC chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration;[82] |
| Mike Gonzalez | Heritage † | 8 – "Media Agencies / Corporation for Public Broadcasting";[83] 21 – "Department of Commerce" (contributor)[84] | 1776 Commission appointee[10] | 1776 Commission appointee[10] |
| Mandy M. Gunasekara | Independent Women's Forum † | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] | EPA chief of staff and principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of air and radiation[86][87] | EPA chief of staff and principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of air and radiation[86][87] |
| Gene Hamilton | America First Legal † | 17 – "Department of Justice"[88] | DOJ counselor to the attorney general; DHS senior counselor; ICE assistant chief counsel[89] | DOJ counselor to the attorney general; DHS senior counselor; ICE assistant chief counsel[89] |
Jennifer L. Hazelton [Jennifer Hazelton - USAID | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-hazelton-34b1605/) | CNN and Fox News journalist[10] | 23 – "Export-Import Bank / The Case for the Export-Import Bank"[90] | Trump-Pence Georgia campaign Communications director (2016);[91] DOS head of Public Affairs (2017);[92] EXIM vice president (2017–2020); USAID deputy assistant administrator (2020–2021)[25][91] |
| Karen Kerrigan | Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council[93] | 25 – "Small Business Administration"[94] | Supported Trump's nomination of Linda McMahon[95] | Supported Trump's nomination of Linda McMahon[95] |
| Dennis D. Kirk | Mindset[96] | 3 – "Central Personnel Agencies – Managing the Bureaucracy"[68] | OPM associate director;[97] Merit Systems Protection Board chairman[98] | OPM associate director;[97] Merit Systems Protection Board chairman[98] |
| Kent Lassman | Competitive Enterprise Institute † | 26 – "Trade / The Case for Free Trade"[99] | ||
| Bernard L. McNamee | McGuireWoods LLP | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | FERC[101] | FERC[101] |
| Christopher C. Miller | Albers Aerospace, Highpoint Aerotechnologies[102] | 4 – "Department of Defense"[103] | DoD secretary (2020); NCC director (2020);[104] NSC (2018–2019)[105] | DoD secretary (2020); NCC director (2020);[104] NSC (2018–2019)[105] |
| Stephen Moore | FreedomWorks † | 22 – "Department of the Treasury"[44] | Member of President Trump's economic task force[106] | Member of President Trump's economic task force[106] |
| Mora Namdar | Namdar Law PLLC[107] | 8 – "Media Agencies / United States Agency for Global Media"[108] | NEA senior bureau official (2025); USAGM; CA assistant secretary (2020–2021) | NEA senior bureau official (2025); USAGM; CA assistant secretary (2020–2021) |
| Peter Navarro | Paul Merage School of Business (gone emeritus) | 26 – "Free Trade / The Case for Fair Trade"[109] | Assistant to the President; OTMP director; NTC director[110][111] | Assistant to the President; OTMP director; NTC director[110][111] |
| William Perry Pendley | Federalist Society;[112] Mountain States Legal Foundation | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[113] | BLM de facto director (2019–2020)[114] | BLM de facto director (2019–2020)[114] |
| Max Primorac | Heritage † | 9 – "Agency for International Development";[115] 6 – "Department of State" (contributor)[69] | USAID chief operating officer[116] | USAID chief operating officer[116] |
| Kevin Roberts | Heritage † president[117][118] | Foreword – "A Promise to America"[119] | Met with Trump; organized events around him.[10] | Met with Trump; organized events around him.[10] |
| Roger Severino | Ethics and Public Policy Center | 14 – "Department of Health and Human Services"[120] | Office of Civil Rights director at HHS[121] | Office of Civil Rights director at HHS[121] |
| Brett D. Schaefer | Heritage † | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | Member on the United Nations committee on contributions[122] | Member on the United Nations committee on contributions[122] |
| Kiron K. Skinner | Pepperdine University School of Public Policy | 6 – "Department of State"[123] | DOS director of policy planning[124] | DOS director of policy planning[124] |
| Brooks D. Tucker | United States Marine Corps (retired lieutenant)[10] | 20 – "Department of Veterans Affairs"[125] | VA assistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairs [126] | VA assistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairs [126] |
| Hans A. von Spakovsky | Heritage † | 29 – "Federal Election Commission"[127] | Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (2017) | Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (2017) |
| Russell "Russ" Vought | Center for Renewing America (CRA) † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[128] | OMB director (2018–2020, 2025-);[129] 2024 Republican National Committee Platform[130] | OMB director (2018–2020, 2025-);[129] 2024 Republican National Committee Platform[130] |
| William L. Walton | Resolute Protector Foundation | 22 – "Department of the Treasury"[44] | Transition team top economic advisor (2016)[131][10] | Transition team top economic advisor (2016)[131][10] |
| Paul Winfree | Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC);[132] Heritage † | 24 – "Federal Reserve";[133] 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States" (contributor)[134] | DPC; OMB; Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (2019–2022)[135] | DPC; OMB; Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (2019–2022)[135] |
LNK
Other contributors
The editors of Conservative Promise thank their 280 contributors in an "Acknowledgements" section, and lists them as "contributors". Other contributors have earned a special mention in the author's notes at the end of their chapters. Some contributors (like Atkins) have been thanked for having written portions of the chapters, but are not listed as author. Those who have not contributed to any specific chapter are identified as appearing in the "Contributors" section. The New York Times has traced back 307 authors and contributors to Project 2025; 182 of them are tied to Trump.[10]
Organizations marked with a dagger (†) are listed in the "Advisory board" section of the Conservative Promise.
Other Conservative Promise contributors| Name | Affiliation | Chapter | Trump tie |
| Paige Agostin | Center for Renewing America † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Associate Director of Policy for the Office of the Vice President (2020–2024)[136][137] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Albrecht | "Contributors" | ||
| Christopher J. Anderson | Sen. Steve Daines (2022–); Sen. Bill Cassidy (2014–2017) | 20 – "Department of Veterans Affairs"[125] | VA (2017–2021);[138] testified to the 2019 impeachment inquiry |
| Jeffrey H. Anderson | The American Main Street Initiative † | "Contributors" | DOJ: director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2017–2021)[139] |
| Michael Anton | Hillsdale College † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | NCS: deputy assistant to the President for strategic communications[140][141] |
| EJ Antoni III | Heritage † | 22 – "Department of Treasury" (cited) | Commissioner of Labor Statistics nominee,[142][143] withdrawn[144] |
| Andrew R. Arthur | Center for Immigration Studies[145] † | "Contributors" (identified as "Art") | Defended Trump's anti-immigration policies in reports and hearings.[146] |
| Paul S. Atkins | Patomak Global Partners[147] | 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Securities and Exchange Commission and Related Agencies" (portion)[148] | SEC chairman (2025 – );[149] Strategic and Policy Forum (2017)[150] |
| Julie Axelrod | Center for Immigration Studies † | "Contributors" | EPA (2020–2021) |
| James Bacon | "Contributors" | McEntee's aide[3] | |
| James Baehr | Pelican Institute;[151] Federalist Society[152] | "Contributors" | General counsel for the Department of Veteran Affairs[149] |
| Stewart Baker | Steptoe and Johnson LLP | "Contributors" | Testified for FISA reform.[153] |
| Erik Baptist | Alliance Defending Freedom † | "Contributors" | EPA (2017)[154] |
| Brent Bennett | Texas Public Policy Foundation †; FedSoc;[155] Life:Powered[156] | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| John Berlau | CEI † | 22 – "Department of Treasury" | Endorsed Trump's choice for CFPB director[157] |
| Russell Berman | Hoover Institution | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | U.S. State Department: Commission on Unalienable Rights[158] in the first Trump administration |
| Aubrey Bettencourt | Netafim[159] | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | USDA under his first administration;[161] NRCS (2025-) |
| Sanjai Bhagat | University of Colorado Boulder | "Contributors" | Part of the Economists for Trump[162] |
| Stephen Billy | Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | OMB senior advisor[149] |
| Brad Bishop | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | HUD deputy assistant communications secretary[10] |
| Willis W. Bixby | WWBX LLC; Talisman[163] | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | DOE (2018)[164] |
| Josh Blackman | South Texas College of Law | "Contributors" | [165] |
| Jim Blew | Defense of Freedom Institute † | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | ED: assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development[10] |
| Robert Bortins | Classical Conversations | "Contributors" | |
| Rachel Bovard | Conservative Partnership Institute † | 30 – "Federal Trade Commission"[47] | Endorsed Trump in various right-wing outlets.[166][167] |
| Matt Bowman | Alliance Defending Freedom † | "Contributors" | HHS deputy general counsel[10] |
| Steven G. Bradbury | Heritage † | 19 – "Department of Transportation"[168] | Acting Secretary of Transportation;[169] acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation;[169] general Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation[169] |
| Preston Brashers | Heritage † | 22 – "Department of Treasury" (thanked and cited) | |
| Andrew Bremberg | Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation[170] | 1 – "White House Office" | Office of the United Nations in Geneva: permanent US representative; DPC: assistant to the President[171] |
| Jonathan Bronitsky | ATHOS | 1 – "White House Office" | Former chief speech writer for William P. Barr, the 2016–2020 Trump administration's attorney general[172] |
| Kyle Brosnan | Heritage † | "Contributors" | HHS and DHS: senior roles[10] |
| Patrick T. Brown | Ethics and Public Policy Center †[173] | "Contributors" | Defended Trump with op-eds[174] |
| Robert Burkett | American Center for Law & Justice | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States";[134] 21 – "Department of Commerce"[84] | DOC; DOL; Office of the Under Secretary chief of staff |
| Michael Burley | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | Special assistant to the president and associate director of presidential personnel[10] |
| Jonathan Butcher | Heritage † | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | |
| Mark H. Buzby | Buzby Maritime Associates, LLC | "Contributors" | United States Maritime Administrator[175] |
| Margaret Byfield | American Stewards of Liberty | "Contributors" | Involved in the Congressional Western Caucus;[176] lobbied against national parks[177] |
| David Byrd | Korn Ferry | "Contributors" | Transition team consultant; DOCnational deputy director[10] |
| Sarah Calvis | America Moment[178] † | 6 – "Department of State";[69] | Project 2025 coordinator (2022 – 2025) |
| Anthony P. Campau | Center for Renewing America †; EPIC[132] | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Presidential transition team[179] |
| James Jay Carafano | Heritage † | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | Primary aide to the U.S. State Department for the first Trump administration's transition team[180] |
| Frank Carroll | Professional Forest Management | "Contributors" | Wanted to rename State Route 260 the Donald Trump Highway.[181] |
| Oren Cass | American Compass† | 18 – "Department of Labor and Related Agencies"[182] | Worked with JD Vance[183] |
| Brian J. Cavanaugh | American Global Strategies | "Contributors" | National Security Council (2017–2021)[184] |
| Spencer Chretien | Heritage †: Project 2025 associate director | 6 – "Department of State"[69] |
2025- senior bureau official at PRM[185] |
| Claire Christensen | American Cornerstone Institute; Gingrich 360[186] | "Contributors" | Co-authored Trump vs China with Newt Gingrich |
| Jeffrey B. Clark | New Civil Liberties Alliance; Federalist Society[187] | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | United States Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Acting Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget. |
| Victoria Coates | Heritage † | 8 – "Media Agencies / Corporation for Public Broadcasting" | Deputy National Security Advisor for Middle East and North African Affairs |
| Ellie Cohanim | Independent Women's Forum † | "Contributors" | Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in the first Trump administration[188] |
| Ezra Cohen | Union League of Philadelphia | "Contributors" | DOD[189] |
| Elbridge Colby | Marathon Initiative | "Contributors" | Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development in the first Trump administration[190] |
| Earl Comstock | White & Case LLP | "Contributors" | DOC: Wilbur Ross aide (2017–2020)[191][192] |
| Wesley Coopersmith | Heritage Action for America | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | Legislative Director for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)[193] |
| Lisa Correnti | Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam) † | "Contributors" | Delegate to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women[10] |
| Monica Crowley | The Nixon Seminar | 22 – "Department of Treasury" | Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs in first the Trump administration[194] |
| Laura Cunliffe | Independent Women's Forum † America First Policy Institute | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | United Nations ambassador chief of staff; OMB; DPC[195] |
| Mark Cruz | United States Energy Association[196] | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | DOI (2018–2020); HHS senior advisor (2025)[197] |
| Tom Dans | Amberwave Partners | 22 – "Department of Treasury" | USDT: counselor to the under secretary for international affairs[10] |
| Sohan Dasgupta | Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP | "Contributors"[198] | DHS: Assistant secretary for trade and economic security (2025); previously ED: Special counsel, and DHS: Deputy general counsel[199] |
| Corey DeAngelis | American Federation for Children | "Contributors" | Trump endorsed his anti-LGBTQ+ book[200] |
| Caroline DeBerry | Paragon Health Institute vice-president (2021–2023)[201] | "Contributors" | FEC; worked for Pence's Chief of Staff Nick Ayers, Brett Giroir,[202] |
| Arielle Del Turco | Family Research Council † | "Contributors" | |
| Chris De Ruyter | National Center for Urban Operations | "Contributors" | |
| Irv Dennis | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | HUD chief financial officer[10] |
| David Deptula | Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies | "Contributors" | |
| Sergio de la Peña | 4: "Department of Defense"[203] | Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the first Trump Administration[204][205] 2016 presidential campaign[204] | |
| Chuck DeVore | Texas Public Policy Foundation † | 4: "Department of Defense"[203] | |
| C. Wallace DeWitt | Allen & Overy LLP | 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Consumer Financial Protection Bureau"[37] | SEC counsel to the commissioner[10] |
| Matthew D. Dickerson | EPIC; Heritage †; Americans for Prosperity[132] | "Contributors" | House Budget Committee senior policy advisor |
| James Di Pane | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Michael Ding | America First Legal † | "Contributors" | |
| David Ditch | Heritage † | 19 – "Department of Transportation"[168] | |
| Natalie Dodson | Ethics and Public Policy Center † | "Contributors" | Senior counselor to the HHS secretary |
| Dave Dorey | The Fairness Center | "Contributors" | DHS: deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention[10] |
| Mike Duffey | Senior Vice Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Senior White House official[206] |
| Max Eden | American Enterprise Institute | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | |
| Troy Edgar | IBM Consulting | "Contributors" | DHS chief financial officer[10] |
| Joseph Edlow | Heritage † | "Contributors" | USCIS deputy director[10] |
| Jen Ehlinger | Booz Allen Hamilton | "Contributors" | DoS communications strategist[10] |
| John Ehrett | Office of Senator Josh Hawley | 30 – "Federal Trade Commission"[47] | |
| Kristen Eichamer | Heritage † | 21 – "Department of Commerce"[84] | NASA deputy press secretary |
| Robert S. Eitel | Defense of Freedom Institute † | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | ED: counselor to the secretary[10] |
| Lanny Erdos | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Will Estrada | Parents Rights Foundation | "Contributors" | |
| Farnaz Farkish Thompson | McGuireWoods | "Contributors" | ED (2018–2021)[207] |
| Jon Feere | Center for Immigration Studies † | "Contributors" | ICE senior advisor;[208] collaborated with Miller and Holman to hype immigrant criminality[209] |
| Baruch Feigenbaum | Reason Foundation | "Contributors" | |
| Travis Fisher | Heritage † | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| George Fishman | Center for Immigration Studies † | "Contributors" | DHS deputy general counsel and USCIS] chief counsel (2018–2021) [210][211][212] |
| Leslie Ford | Heritage †; American Enterprise Institute (2023-) | "Contributors" | DPC[213][214] |
| Aharon Friedman | Federal Policy Group[215] | "Contributors" | USDT: senior adviser to the assistant secretary for tax policy[216] |
| Bruce Frohnen | Pettit College of Law; Federalist Society | "Contributors" | |
| Joel Frushone | Ernst & Young | "Contributors" | EDA (2019–2021) |
| Finch Fulton | K&L Gates | "Contributors" | DOT (2019–2020) |
| Caleigh Gabel | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Christopher Gacek | Family Research Council † | "Contributors" | |
| Alexandra Gaiser | River Financial Inc. | "Contributors" | |
| Mario Garza | "Contributors" | ||
| Patty-Jane Geller | Heritage † | 4 – "Department of Defense"[103] and 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions" (cited) | |
| Aurelia Giacometto | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | United States Fish and Wildlife Service director[217] | |
| Andrew Gillen | Texas Public Policy Foundation † | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | |
| James S. Gilmore III | Gilmore Global Group LLC | "Contributors" | served as United States Mission to the United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe during the first Trump administration[218] |
| Vance Ginn | Economic Consulting LLC | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | |
| John G. Malcolm | Heritage † | "Contributors" | LSC board of directors, nominated by Trump (2019-) |
| Alma Golden | Institute for Women's Health † | 9 – "Agency for International Development"[219] | Alma L Golden - Add Relationship - LittleSis |
| Chadwick R. Gore | Defense Forum Foundation | "Contributors" | Donald J. Trump for President inc. (2016); House Foreign Affairs Committee (2018–2019)[220] |
| David Gortler | Ethics and Public Policy Center † | "Contributors" | |
| Brian Gottstein | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Dan Greenberg | CEI † | "Contributors" | |
| Robert "Rob" Greenway | Hudson Institute | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Top advisor on the Middle East who stepped down following January 6[221] |
| Rachel Greszler | Heritage †; EPIC | 18 – "Department of Labor and Related Agencies"[182] | Senior economist on the staff of the Joint Economic Committee of the Congress[132] |
| DJ Gribbin | Madrus Consulting | "Contributors" | Special assistant to the President for infrastructure (2017–2018)[222] |
| Garrison Grisedale | American Cornerstone Institute; Hillsdale College †[223] | "Contributors" | HUD: Speechwriter and Deputy White House Liaison[224] |
| Joseph Grogan | USC Schaeffer School for Health Policy and Economics | "Contributors" | Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration[225] |
| Steven Groves | Heritage †, The Conservative Promise co-editor | 6 – "Department of State" (contributor)[69] | Ambassador Nikki Haley's Chief of Staff at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Assistant Special Counsel, representing the White House in the Mueller investigation White House Deputy Press Secretary[226] |
| Andrew Guernsey | Voice for Life[227] | "Contributors" | HHS senior advisor[228] |
| Jeffrey Gunter | Republican Jewish Coalition | "Contributors" | |
| Joe Guy | Club for Growth | "Contributors" | |
| Joseph Guzman | "Contributors" | ||
| Amalia Halikias | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Casey Hammond | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | BLM acting director | |
| Richard Hanania | Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology | "Contributors" | |
| Simon Hankinson | Heritage † | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | State Department[229] |
| David Harlow | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] | ||
| Derek Harvey | Board of County Commissioners in Washington County, Maryland (2022–2026) | "Contributors" | National Security Council (2017); HPSCI (2017–2018) |
| Jason Hayes | Mackinac Center for Public Policy | "Contributors" | |
| Aaron Hedlund | America First Policy Institute | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Chief Economist for Domestic Policy at the Council of Economic Advisers.[230] |
| Lou Heinzer | 21 – "Department of Commerce"[84] | ||
| Edie Heipel | Center for Renewing America † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | |
| Troup Hemenway | Personnel Policy Operations; America First Policy Institute; Club for Growth[231] | "Contributors" | PPO |
| Nathan Hitchen | Equal Rights Institute | 22 – "Department of the Treasury";[44] (cited) | |
| Pete Hoekstra | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] (cited) | United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during the first Trump administration | |
| Gabriella Hoffman | Independent Women's Forum | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] (cited) | |
| Tom Homan | Heritage † | "Contributors" | Director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first Trump administration; Border Czar in the second Trump administration |
| Christopher C. Horner | "Contributors" | ||
| Mike Howell | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Valerie Huber | The Institute for Women's Health; † Ascend | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Health and Human Services[232] |
| Andrew Hughes | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Joseph M. Humire | Center for a Secure Free Society | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Integration and Defense Support of Civil Authorities[233] |
| Christopher Iacovella | American Securities Association | 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Consumer Financial Protection Bureau";[37] 30 – "Federal Trade Commission"[47] | |
| Melanie Israel | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Ken Ivory | Utah House of Representatives | "Contributors" | |
| Roman Jankowski | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Abby Jones | "Contributors" | ||
| Diane Auer Jones | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | ||
| Art Kleinschmidt | Recovery for America Now Foundation † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | SAMHSA; HHS[234] |
| Paul J. Larkin | Heritage †; Civitas Institute[235] | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Defends various Trump actions: the spending pause,[236] the Congressional Review Act,[237] etc. |
| Emilie Kao | Alliance Defending Freedom† | "Contributors" | |
| Jared M. Kelson | Boyden Gray & Associates | "Contributors" | |
| Aaron Kheriaty | Ethics and Public Policy Center † | "Contributors" | |
| Ali Kilmartin | Alliance Defending Freedom† | "Contributors" | |
| Julie Kirchner | Federation for American Immigration Reform | "Contributors" | |
| Dan Kish | Institute for Energy Research † | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | |
| Kenneth A. Klukowski | Federalist Society[238] | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Constitutional rights advisor on the transition team; Justice Department staffer[239] |
| Brian Knight | 27 (portion): "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Securities and Exchange Commission and Related Agencies"[148] | ||
| Adam Korzeniewski | American Principles Project † | 22 | |
| Bethany Kozma | Keystone Policy † | 9 – "Agency for International Development"[219] | |
| Matthew Kozma | "Contributors" | Under secretary for intelligence and analysis, DHS (2025)[240] | |
| Julius Krein | American Affairs | "Contributors" | |
| Stanley Kurtz | Ethics and Public Policy Center † | "Contributors" | |
| David LaCerte | Baker Botts, LLP | "Contributors" | |
| Paul R. Lawrence | Lawrence Consulting | 20 – "Department of Veterans Affairs"[125] | |
| James R. Lawrence III | Envisage Law | "Contributors" | |
| Nathan Leamer | Targeted Victory | "Contributors" | |
| David Legates | University of Delaware (Ret.) | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States";[134] 21 – "Department of Commerce"[84] | Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for observation and prediction at the NOAA[241] |
| Marlo Lewis | CEI † | "Contributors" | |
| Ben Lieberman | CEI † | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| John Ligon | "Contributors" | ||
| Evelyn Lim | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Mario Loyola | CEI † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | |
| Jim Magagna | WYO BEEF ROLLINS | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | |
| Scott Mason IV | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] | ||
| Joseph Masterman | Cooper & Kirk PLLC | "Contributors" | |
| Earl Matthews | The Vandenberg Coalition | "Contributors" | General Counsel of the Department of Defense, held multiple positions in the first Trump administration |
| Dan Mauler | Heritage Action for America | "Contributors" | |
| Brian Vaughan McCormack | Edison Electric Institute[242] | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States";[134] 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | Among several aides who declined to participate in the 2019 impeachment hearings against Trump; National Security Council[243] |
| Drew McCall | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Trent McCotter | Boyden Gray & Associates | "Contributors" | |
| Micah Meadowcroft | The American Conservative† | "Contributors" | |
| Edwin Meese III | Heritage †[244] | 1 – "White House Office"[74] | Presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump[245] |
| Jessica Melugin | CEI † | 30 – "Federal Trade Commission"[47] | |
| Frank Mermoud | Orpheus International | "Contributors" | |
| Mark Miller | Office of Kristi Noem | "Contributors" | Office of Governor Kristi Noem |
| Cleta Mitchell | Conservative Partnership Institute † | "Contributors" | |
| Kevin E. Moley | "Contributors" | ||
| Caitlin Moon | American Center for Law & Justice † | "Contributors" | |
| David Moore | Brigham Young University Law School | "Contributors" | |
| Clare Morell | Ethics and Public Policy Center † | "Contributors" | |
| Mark A. Morgan | Heritage † | "Contributors" | served multiple roles in the first Trump administration[246][247] |
| Hunter Morgen | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Rachel Morrison | Ethics and Public Policy Center † | 18 – "Department of Labor and Related Agencies"[182] | |
| Jonathan Moy | Heritage † | "Contributors" (junior staffer) | |
| Casey Mulligan | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Chief Economist of the Council of Economic Advisers[248][249] during the first Trump administration | |
| Iain Murray | CEI † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States";[134] 21 – "Department of Commerce";[84] 26 – "Trade / The Case for Free Trade" | |
| Ryan Nabil | National Taxpayers Union;[250] CEI † | "Contributors" | |
| Michael Nasi | Jackson Walker LLP[251] | "Contributors" | |
| Lucien Niemeyer | The Niemeyer Group LLC | "Contributors" | |
| Nazak Nikakhtar | Wiley Rein LLP | 21 – "Department of Commerce"[84] | |
| Milan "Mitch" Nikolich | "Contributors" | ||
| Kathy Nuebel Kovarik | Sagitta Solutions LLC | "Contributors" | |
| Matt O'Brien | Immigration Reform Law Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Caleb Orr | Boyden Gray & Associates | 18 – "Department of Labor and Related Agencies";[182] 25 – "Small Business Administration" | |
| Ivan Osorio | CEI †[252] | 26 – "Trade / The Case for Free Trade"[253] | |
| Nina Owcharenko Schaefer | Heritage † | 14 – "Department of Health and Human Services"[120] (cited) | |
| Scott Pace | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Executive Secretary of the National Space Council[254][255] during the first Trump administration | |
| Michael Pack | Claremont Institute † CEO (2015–2017) | 8 – "Media Agencies / Corporation for Public Broadcasting" | USAGM CEO[256] |
| Chad Padgett | Bureau of Land Management in Alaska[257] | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | |
| Leah Pedersen | Convergence[258] | "Contributors" | USAID |
| Michael Pillsbury | Heritage † | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | Architect of Trump's policy towards China |
| Patrick Pizzella | Leadership Institute | "Contributors" | Deputy and acting Secretary of Labor in the first Trump administration[259][260] |
| Chelsea Pizzola | 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Consumer Financial Protection Bureau"[37] | ||
| Jim Pond | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Robert W. Poole Jr. | Reason Foundation founder | 19 – "Department of Transportation"[168] | |
| Kevin Preskenis | Allymar Health Solutions | "Contributors" | Chief of Staff, Office of the chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration, DOC |
| Pam Pryor | National Committee for Religious Freedom | "Contributors" | |
| Thomas Pyle | Institute for Energy Research † | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| Rob Roy Ramey II | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| John Ratcliffe | American Global Strategies | 7 – "Intelligence Community"[53] (mentioned and cited) | Director of National Intelligence[261] selected as CIA Director in the second Trump administration |
| Paul J. Ray | Heritage † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs[262] in the first Trump administration |
| Joseph Reddan | Flexilis Forestry LLC | "Contributors" | |
| Jay W. Richards | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Jordan Richardson | Heise Suarez Melville P.A. | "Contributors" | |
| Jason Richwine | Center for Immigration Studies † | 3 – "Central Personnel Agencies – Managing the Bureaucracy" (cited) | Mentioned by Stephen Miller in the Breitbart emails[263] |
| Shaun Rieley | The American Conservative† | "Contributors" | |
| Lora Ries | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Leo Rios | "Contributors" | ||
| Mark Robeck | Energy Evolution Consulting LLC | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| James Rockas | American Center for Law & Justice | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States";[134] 21 – "Department of Commerce"[84] | Election team[264] |
| Mark Royce | NOVA-Annandale College | "Contributors" | |
| Reed Rubinstein | America First Legal | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | Legal advisor of the Department of State (May, 2025-) |
| William P. Ruger | American Institute for Economic Research | "Contributors" | Trump's Ambassador to Afghanistan[265] |
| Austin Ruse | Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam) † | "Contributors" | |
| Brent D. Sadler | Heritage † | 4 – "Department of Defense"[103] (cited) | |
| Alexander William Salter | Texas Tech University | 24 – "Federal Reserve"[266] | |
| Jon Sanders | John Locke Foundation | "Contributors" | |
| Carla Sands | America First Policy Institute | "Contributors" | Served as United States Ambassador to Denmark during the first Trump administration[267][268][269] |
| David Sauve | "Contributors" | ||
| Kyle E. Scherer | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Matt Schuck | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Justin Schwab | CGCN Law | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] | |
| Jon Schweppe | American Principles Project † | 30 – "Federal Trade Commission"[47] | |
| Marc Scribner | Reason Foundation | "Contributors" | |
| Darin Selnick | Selnick Consulting | 20 – "Department of Veterans Affairs"[125] | |
| Josh Sewell | Taxpayers for Common Sense | 10 – "Department of Agriculture"[28] (cited) | |
| Kathleen Sgamma | Western Energy Alliance | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | |
| Matt Sharp | Alliance Defending Freedom† | "Contributors" | |
| Judy Shelton | Independent Institute | 24 – "Federal Reserve"[266] | Economic advisor to Trump under his first term[270][271] |
| Molly Sikes | Center for Renewing America † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | |
| Nathan Simington | "Contributors" | served as Commissioner of the FCC in the first Trump administration, and continues to serve in that role in the Biden administration[272] | |
| Jeff Smith | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | ||
| Loren Smith | Skyline Policy Risk Group | "Contributors" | |
| Daniel Simmons | Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | DOE: assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy |
| Zack Smith | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Thomas W. Spoehr | Heritage † | 4 – "Department of Defense"[103] (cited) | |
| Jack Spencer | Heritage † | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| Adrienne Spero | U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security | "Contributors" | |
| Christopher Stanley | Functional Government Initiative | "Contributors" | |
| Paula M. Stannard | "Contributors" | HHS senior counselor (2016–2020); director of the Office for Civil Rights (2025)[273] | |
| Parker Stathatos | Texas Public Policy Foundation † | "Contributors" | |
| William R. Steiger | Independent consultant | 9 – "Agency for International Development"[219] | USAID chief of staff[274] |
| Kenny Stein | Institute for Energy Research † | "Contributors" | |
| Robby Stephany Saunders | Coalition for a Prosperous America † | "Contributors" | |
| Corey Stewart | Stewart PLLC | "Contributors" | |
| Peter St Onge | Heritage † | 24 – "Federal Reserve"[266] | |
| Mari Stull | "Contributors" | ||
| Katharine T. Sullivan | 1792 Exchange † | "Contributors" | |
| Brett Swearingen | Miller Johnson | "Contributors" | |
| Michael Sweeney | "Contributors" | ||
| Tara Sweeney | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Robert Swope | "Contributors" | ||
| Aaron Szabo | CGCN Group | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] | |
| Katy Talento | AllBetter Health | "Contributors" | |
| Hillary Tanoff | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | ||
| John Tashuda | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Tony Tata | Tata Leadership Group LLC | "Contributors" | Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the first Trump administration[275] |
| Todd Thurman | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | |
| Brett Tolman | Tolman Group | "Contributors" | |
| Kayla M. Tonnessen | Recovery for America Now Foundation † | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States"[134] | Chief of staff of the Office of National Drug Control Policy[276] |
| Joe Trotter | American Legislative Exchange Council † | "Contributors" | |
| Tevi Troy | Mercatus Center | "Contributors" | |
| Katie Tubb | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions";[100] 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Clayton Tufts | Jefferson Parish Government | "Contributors" | DOC special adviser (2019-2021)[10] |
| Erin Valdez | Texas Public Policy Foundation † | 11 – "Department of Education"[41] | |
| Mark Vandroff | Navy (ret.) | "Contributors" | NCS senior director for defense policy[10] |
| Jessica M. Vaughan | Center for Immigration Studies †[277] | "Contributors" | Spoke regularly with the administration.[278] Testified to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security (2018)[279] |
| John "JV" Venable | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Morgan Lorraine Viña | Jewish Institute for National Security of America | "Contributors" | |
| Andrew N. Vollmer | Mercatus Center | 27 – "Financial Regulatory Agencies / Securities and Exchange Commission and Related Agencies";[37] (thanked and cited) | |
| Greg Walcher | Natural Resources Group LLC | "Contributors" | |
| David Wallace | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| David M. Walsh | Takota Group | 12 – "Department of Energy and Related Commissions"[100] | |
| Elizabeth Erin Walsh | Heritage † | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | Assistant Secretary of Commerce (Global Markets);[280] Director General of the United States Commercial Service;[280] Member of the Trump's presidential transition team[280][281] |
| Jacklyn Ward | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | HUD press secretary (2025 – 02)[282] |
| Emma Waters | Heritage † | "Contributors" | |
| Rachael Wilfong | Heritage † | 10 – "Department of Agriculture" (got it ready for submission) | |
| Michael L. Williams | American Cornerstone Institute | "Contributors" | HUD principal deputy general counsel[10] |
| Aaron Wolff | "Contributors" | ||
| Jonathan Wolfson | Cicero Institute | 2 – "Executive Office of the President of the United States";[134] 18 – "Department of Labor and Related Agencies"[182] | U.S. Department of Labor in the Trump Administration[283] |
| Alexei Woltornist | ATHOS | "Contributors" | DHS assistant secretary for public affairs[10] |
| Clint Woods | 13 – "Environmental Protection Agency"[85] | ||
| Frank Wuco | Conservative talk radio show in Florida[284] | 8 – "Media Agencies / Corporation for Public Broadcasting" | DHS advisor; Department of State; USAGM[285][286][287] |
| Cesar Ybarra | FreedomWorks † | "Contributors" | |
| Ryan Young | 26 – "Trade / The Case for Free Trade" | ||
| John Zadrozny | America First Legal † | 6 – "Department of State"[69] | USCIS official[288] |
| Gregory Zerzan | 16 – "Department of the Interior"[160] | ||
| Laura Zorc | FreedomWorks † | "Contributors" |
See also
- 2024 Republican Party Platform
- Agenda 47 - Policy platform of the 2024 Donald Trump campaign
- America First Policy Institute - has a transition project which is viewed as a rival to Project 2025
- Political appointments of the first Trump administration
- Political appointments of the second Trump administration
References...
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NYT NO LNX
The Many Links Between Project 2025 and Trump’s World
By Elena Shao and Ashley Wu Oct. 22, 2024
Former president Donald J. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he had nothing to do with Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s conservative policy initiative to reshape the federal government. Mr. Trump has said that he has not read its proposals and does not know who is behind it. But Project 2025 has numerous ties to Mr. Trump and his campaign, a New York Times analysis has found.
The people behind Project 2025 are no strangers to the former president. The Heritage Foundation’s president, Kevin D. Roberts, and a co-founder, Edwin J. Feulner, have each personally met with Mr. Trump. And the analysis of the Project 2025 playbook and its 307 authors and contributors revealed that well over half of them had been in Mr. Trump’s administration or on his campaign or transition teams.
Large portions of the “Mandate for Leadership,” the driving document behind Project 2025, were written by longtime Trump loyalists who were advisers to Mr. Trump during his first term.
Eighteen of the 40 authors and editors who worked on the document served in the first Trump administration:
Jump to the full list of authors, editors and contributors
Spokespeople for Project 2025 have denied that they are advocates for any particular candidate, and Project 2025 has no official ties to the Trump campaign. But the president of the Heritage Foundation told The New York Times in an interview in January that he views the foundation’s role as “institutionalizing Trumpism.”
While Mr. Trump has publicly disavowed Project 2025, there is significant overlap between the playbook and the plans Mr. Trump has articulated in campaign speeches and in his current campaign agenda, Agenda 47.
The policy playbook, known as the “Mandate for Leadership,” is just one pillar of Project 2025. Another is the group’s efforts to compile a database of thousands of vetted conservatives to staff a new conservative administration. That team is led by John McEntee and James Bacon, who helped during Mr. Trump’s first term to purge the federal government of people deemed disloyal to him.
The Heritage Foundation has been staffing Republican administrations since the Reagan era, though it has massively expanded its efforts in this election cycle. To limit the appearance of connection, Mr. Trump’s transition team has been excluding prominent people linked to Project 2025 from its preparations. (A co-chair of that team, Howard Lutnick, called the Heritage Foundation “radioactive” because of the initiative in an interview with The New York Post this month.) But if Mr. Trump were to win the election, it would be unlikely for him to maintain a total ban on those affiliated with Project 2025, given he is personally close to some of its critical players.
The New York Times reached out to the Heritage Foundation and the Trump campaign with its findings; neither responded.
The “Mandate for Leadership” is composed of 30 chapters, organized into five large sections. Here is a section-by-section breakdown showing some of the ways in which Project 2025’s policies and personnel overlap with Mr. Trump’s.
The executive branch and government personnel
The document’s first section calls for an escalation of executive power and a sweeping overhaul of government personnel. This includes reinstating a Trump executive order known as Schedule F, which would have enabled Mr. Trump to fire tens of thousands of federal workers and replace them with loyalists. Mr. Trump signed the order near the end of his presidency and President Joseph R. Biden Jr. later rescinded it.
Dennis Dean Kirk co-wrote the chapter in this section on central personnel agencies. Mr. Kirk was involved with the adoption of Schedule F, which Mr. Trump has pledged to immediately reinstate in a second term.
The Heritage Foundation president, Kevin D. Roberts, wrote the foreword to the Project 2025 document. Photo evidence shows he took a private flight with Mr. Trump in April of 2022 from Palm Beach, Fla., to a Heritage Foundation conference. There, Mr. Trump gave a keynote address, where he said of Mr. Roberts: “I know what he did and where he came from, and he’s going to be outstanding.”
Mr. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, wrote the foreword to Mr. Roberts’s forthcoming book, “Dawn’s Early Light.”
Circled, clockwise from top left: Kevin Roberts, Rick Dearborn and Russell T. Vought. Sources: The Washington Post (Roberts); Evan Vucci/Associated Press (Dearborn and Vought)
In addition to Mr. Kirk, three other authors of the document’s first section served in Mr. Trump’s administration:
Rick Dearborn, who wrote the chapter on the White House office, served as a White House deputy chief of staff and as executive director of Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential transition team. Mr. Trump called him a “great asset to the administration” in a statement to The Oklahoman.
Russell T. Vought, Mr. Trump’s former budget director, was selected in May to be the policy director of the committee that develops the Republican Party’s platform.
Project 2025’s former director, Paul Dans, served as chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management in the Trump administration. He and Mr. Kirk co-wrote the chapter on personnel agencies. In recent months, Mr. Dans has criticized the Trump campaign and condemned Mr. Roberts’s “violent rhetoric.”
Immigration, national security and media
The document’s second section covers the Defense, Homeland Security and State Departments, as well as media agencies.
Ken Cuccinelli wrote the chapter on the Homeland Security Department. He served as acting deputy secretary of homeland security in the Trump administration and in another role led legal immigration efforts. In his chapter, Mr. Cuccinelli details aggressive immigration plans, including militarizing the Southern border and completing the border wall, the latter of which was a cornerstone of Mr. Trump’s first campaign. This election cycle, Mr. Trump has promised to lead the biggest deportation operation in American history and to use the military to secure the border.
Circled, from left: Ken Cuccinelli and Christopher Miller. Sources: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Samuel Corum for The New York Times
Christopher Miller wrote the chapter on the Defense Department. He served in the last months of the Trump administration as the acting defense secretary. As president-elect, Mr. Biden said his transition team faced “obstruction” from Mr. Miller and the Defense Department, which Mr. Miller denied.
Mr. Miller’s chapter mentions reversing policies that currently allow transgender people to serve in the military. Early in his presidency, Mr. Trump announced on Twitter a ban on transgender people serving in the military, which Mr. Biden later reversed.
All of the five other authors in this section have connections to the first Trump administration, including Kiron K. Skinner, who wrote the chapter on the State Department. She led policy planning in that department and was also a member of Mr. Trump’s transition team in 2016.
Major executive departments
This section’s 11 chapters call for a significant contraction of many federal agencies and social programs.
The chapters call for a repeal of existing protections for L.G.B.T.Q. individuals and demand an end to many diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In many of his rallies, Mr. Trump has said he would “keep men out of women’s sports.” During his presidency, Mr. Trump erased protections for transgender patients in health care.
Project 2025 also calls for the federal government to further restrict abortion, including outlawing the abortion pill. Mr. Trump has said he opposes a federal abortion ban and that abortion rights should be decided by the states, though he has been inconsistent on the issue.
Gene Hamilton wrote the chapter on the Justice Department. Mr. Hamilton, a lawyer who served in the Trump administration, calls for sweeping changes to the Justice Department that would ultimately erode its independence from White House political control.
Mr. Trump has similarly criticized the legitimacy of the department, particularly its investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 election. He has said he would “completely overhaul” the department and pledged to appoint a special prosecutor to “go after” President Biden and his family.
Project 2025 additionally calls for the dismantling of the federal Education Department, which Mr. Trump has also pledged to do.
Circled, from left: Ben Carson in 2016 and 2024. Source: Todd Heisler/The New York Times
Eight other authors who wrote chapters in this section are connected to Mr. Trump’s administration, including Jonathan Berry, who also served as chief counsel for the Trump transition team in 2016, and Ben Carson, who served in Mr. Trump’s cabinet as the secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department.
Mr. Trump announced in September that Mr. Carson would be the national faith chairman of his 2024 campaign.
The economy
Seven authors of the section on the economy took on roles in Mr. Trump’s administration or on his 2016 campaign or transition teams. They include prominent advisers such as Stephen Moore and Peter Navarro, who spoke in support of Mr. Trump at the Republican National Convention this year.
Mr. Navarro wrote a chapter in this section about trade. He was the first senior Trump administration official to serve time over efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He had just been released from prison the morning of his convention speech, after completing a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena in the Jan. 6 investigation.
From left, circled: Karen Kerrigan and Peter Navarro. Sources: Evan Vucci/Associated Press; Ken Cedeno/EPA, via Shutterstock
Both Project 2025 and Mr. Trump have proposed tax policies that would largely benefit corporations and wealthier Americans. Mr. Trump has said he would lower the corporate tax rate to 15 percent from 21 percent.
The Project 2025 blueprint’s authors also want to reduce the corporate tax rate, but they go further, with a proposal to collapse the tax code into just two brackets — 15 percent and 30 percent — while eliminating deductions, credits and exclusions. An analysis by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, found that this plan would raise taxes by thousands of dollars for individual middle-class households each year.
Karen Kerrigan wrote a chapter on the Small Business Administration. She is the president and chief executive of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council and sat with Mr. Trump at a 2017 tax policy meeting at the White House.
Independent regulatory agencies
Project 2025’s fifth and final section recommends large-scale changes for a number of independent regulatory agencies, which would reduce their autonomy and bring them under executive control.
Mr. Trump and his allies likewise intend to bring independent agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (which makes and enforces rules for television and internet companies) and the Federal Trade Commission (which enforces various antitrust and other consumer protection rules against businesses) under direct presidential control.
Circled: Edwin Feulner. Source: Shealah Craighead/White House
Four of the authors of this section of the policy document are linked to Mr. Trump’s first administration, including Robert Bowes, who was also a field director on Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Edwin J. Feulner, a co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, wrote the closing chapter: “Onward!” He met Mr. Trump at least twice: once at a Heritage event, and a second time at a dinner with conservative grassroots leaders hosted by Mr. Trump in 2017.
Here is how 182 out of 307 authors, editors and contributors to Project 2025’s playbook are tied to Mr. Trump:
Authors and Editors Contributors
Filter by
Trump administration
Trump campaign or transition teams
Other connections
Clear filters
CONNECTION TO TRUNP:
Daren Bakst
Former Heritage Foundation fellow
No known connection
Jonathan Berry
Attorney
Acting assistant policy secretary at the Department of Labor
Chief counsel for the Trump transition team
Robert Bowes
Senior adviser to the assistant housing and urban development secretary
Field director on Trump’s 2016 campaign
Lindsey M. Burke
Heritage Foundation fellow
No known connection
David R. Burton
Heritage Foundation fellow
No known connection
Adam Candeub
Professor
Deputy associate attorney general
Dustin J. Carmack
Former Heritage Foundation fellow; former adviser to Gov. Ron DeSantis
Chief of staff for the Director of National Intelligence
Brendan Carr
Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, attorney
Member of the Federal Communications Commission
Benjamin S. Carson, Sr.
Retired doctor and politician
Housing and urban development secretary
National Faith Chairman for Trump’s 2024 campaign, spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention
Ken Cuccinelli
Lawyer; former attorney general of Virginia
Acting deputy homeland security secretary
Paul Dans
Former director of Project 2025
Chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management
Veronique de Rugy
Columnist
No known connection
Dennis Dean Kirk
Associate director of Project 2025
Senior adviser in the Office of Personnel Management
Rick Dearborn
Heritage Foundation fellow; lobbyist
White House deputy chief of staff
Executive director of Trump’s transition team
Donald Devine
Senior scholar at the Fund for American Studies
No known connection
Edwin J. Feulner
Co-founder of the Heritage Foundation
Met Trump at a Heritage Foundation event and a dinner hosted by Trump with conservative grass-roots leaders in Sept. 2017
Diana Furchtgott-Roth
Economist
Deputy assistant secretary for research and technology at the Department of Transportation
Thomas F. Gilman
Former chief financial officer of Chrysler Financial
Chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration at the Department of Commerce
Mike Gonzalez
Heritage Foundation fellow
Appointee to Trump’s 1776 Commission to support “patriotic education”
Steven Groves
Heritage Foundation fellow
White House Deputy Press Secretary
Member of State Department transition team
Mandy M. Gunasekara
Energy strategist, former Heritage Foundation fellow
Chief of staff at the Environmental Protection Agency
Gene Hamilton
Vice president of America First Legal, a Trump-aligned legal action group
Counselor to the attorney general, senior counselor to the homeland security secretary
Led development of immigration policy on Trump transition team
Jennifer Hazelton
Consultant, CNN and Fox News journalist
Public affairs official at the U.S. Agency for International Development
Communications director for the Trump-Pence 2016 campaign in Georgia
Karen Kerrigan
President and chief executive of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council
Sat with Trump in a meeting on tax policy with business leaders at the White House
Kent Lassman
President of the Competitive Enterprise Institute
No known connection
Bernard L. McNamee
Consultant
Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Christopher Miller
Retired colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces
Acting defense secretary
Stephen Moore
Economist, Heritage Foundation fellow, Fox News analyst
Trump planned to nominate him for governor of the Federal Reserve; he later withdrew his name from consideration
Top economic adviser for Trump’s 2016 campaign
Mora Namdar
Attorney
Acting assistant secretary of state
Peter Navarro
Economist; indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress for seeking to overturn in the 2020 presidential election
Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy
Economic policy adviser for Trump’s 2016 campaign, spoke at 2024 Republican National Convention
William Perry Pendley
Attorney, former senior official for Ronald Reagan
Acting director of the Bureau of Land Management
Max Primorac
Heritage Foundation fellow
Acting chief operating officer of the U.S. Agency for International Development
Kevin D. Roberts
President of the Heritage Foundation
Took a private flight with Trump in April 2022 from Palm Beach, Fla. to a Heritage conference
Roger Severino
Attorney
Director of the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services
Kiron K. Skinner
Professor; author
Director of policy planning in the State Department
Member of Trump transition team
Brooks D. Tucker
Retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps
Chief of staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs
Worked on veterans affairs policy on the Trump transition team
Hans A. von Spakovsky
Attorney, Heritage Foundation fellow, former member of the Federal Election Commission
Member of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which ran from May 2017 to Jan. 2018
Russell T. Vought
President of the Center for Renewing America
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
William L. Walton
Heritage Foundation trustee, host of The Bill Walton Show
Top economic adviser on Trump transition team
Paul Winfree
Economist, Heritage Foundation fellow
Deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council, director of Budget Policy
Adviser on the Trump transition team
Note: This list reflects the organizations that contributors were affiliated with as of April 2023, when Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership” was published.
Thomas Gaffney, Charlie Smart and Jonathan Swan contributed reporting.
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NYT
Hover or tap to see each person’s name.
Headshot of Adam Candeub
Headshot of Dustin J. Carmack
Headshot of Brendan Carr
Headshot of Ken Cuccinelli
Headshot of Paul Dans
Headshot of Dennis Dean Kirk
Headshot of Diana Furchtgott-Roth
Headshot of Thomas F. Gilman
Headshot of Mike Gonzalez
Headshot of Mandy M. Gunasekara
Headshot of Bernard L. McNamee
Headshot of Christopher Miller
Headshot of Mora Namdar
Headshot of William Perry Pendley
Headshot of Max Primorac
Headshot of Roger Severino
Headshot of Hans A. von Spakovsky
Headshot of Russell T. Vought
One worked on Mr. Trump’s first presidential transition team:
Headshot of William L. Walton
Twelve worked both in Mr. Trump’s first administration and on one of his transition or campaign teams:
Headshot of Jonathan Berry
Headshot of Robert Bowes
Headshot of Benjamin S. Carson, Sr.
Headshot of Rick Dearborn
Headshot of Steven Groves
Headshot of Gene Hamilton
Headshot of Jennifer Hazelton
Headshot of Stephen Moore
Headshot of Peter Navarro
Headshot of Kiron K. Skinner
Headshot of Brooks D. Tucker
Headshot of Paul Winfree
Of the 267 additional contributors to the Project 2025 playbook, at least 144, highlighted in the list below, also worked in Mr. Trump’s administration or on his campaign or transition teams:
Mark AlbrechtMark Albrecht, highlighted.
Chris Anderson
Jeff AndersonJeff Anderson, highlighted.
Michael AntonMichael Anton, highlighted.
EJ Antoni
Andrew ArthurAndrew Arthur, highlighted.
Paul AtkinsPaul Atkins, highlighted.
Julie AxelrodJulie Axelrod, highlighted.
James BaconJames Bacon, highlighted.
James BaehrJames Baehr, highlighted.
Stewart Baker
Erik BaptistErik Baptist, highlighted.
Brent Bennett
John Berlau
Russell BermanRussell Berman, highlighted.
Sanjai Bhagat
Stephen BillyStephen Billy, highlighted.
Brad BishopBrad Bishop, highlighted.
Willis Bixby
Josh Blackman
Jim BlewJim Blew, highlighted.
Robert Bortins
Rachel Bovard
Matt BowmanMatt Bowman, highlighted.
Steven G. BradburySteven G. Bradbury, highlighted.
Preston Brashers
Jonathan BronitskyJonathan Bronitsky, highlighted.
Kyle BrosnanKyle Brosnan, highlighted.
Patrick T. Brown
Robert BurkettRobert Burkett, highlighted.
Michael BurleyMichael Burley, highlighted.
Jonathan Butcher
Mark BuzbyMark Buzby, highlighted.
Margaret Byfield
David ByrdDavid Byrd, highlighted.
Anthony CampauAnthony Campau, highlighted.
Frank Carroll
Oren Cass
Brian J. CavanaughBrian J. Cavanaugh, highlighted.
Spencer ChretienSpencer Chretien, highlighted.
Claire Christensen
Victoria CoatesVictoria Coates, highlighted.
Ellie CohanimEllie Cohanim, highlighted.
Ezra CohenEzra Cohen, highlighted.
Elbridge ColbyElbridge Colby, highlighted.
Earl ComstockEarl Comstock, highlighted.
Lisa CorrentiLisa Correnti, highlighted.
Monica CrowleyMonica Crowley, highlighted.
Laura CunliffeLaura Cunliffe, highlighted.
Tom DansTom Dans, highlighted.
Sergio de la PeñaSergio de la Peña, highlighted.
Chris De Ruyter
Corey DeAngelis
Caroline DeBerry
Arielle Del Turco
Irv DennisIrv Dennis, highlighted.
David Deptula
Chuck DeVore
James Di Pane
Matthew Dickerson
Michael DingMichael Ding, highlighted.
David Ditch
Natalie Dodson
Dave DoreyDave Dorey, highlighted.
Max Eden
Troy EdgarTroy Edgar, highlighted.
Joseph EdlowJoseph Edlow, highlighted.
Jen EhlingerJen Ehlinger, highlighted.
John Ehrett
Kristen EichamerKristen Eichamer, highlighted.
Robert S. EitelRobert S. Eitel, highlighted.
Will Estrada
Farnaz Farkish Thompson
Jon FeereJon Feere, highlighted.
Baruch Feigenbaum
Travis FisherTravis Fisher, highlighted.
George FishmanGeorge Fishman, highlighted.
Leslie FordLeslie Ford, highlighted.
Aharon FriedmanAharon Friedman, highlighted.
Bruce Frohnen
Joel FrushoneJoel Frushone, highlighted.
Finch FultonFinch Fulton, highlighted.
Caleigh GabelCaleigh Gabel, highlighted.
Christopher Gacek
Alexandra GaiserAlexandra Gaiser, highlighted.
Mario Garza
Patty-Jane Geller
Andrew Gillen
James S. GilmoreJames S. Gilmore, highlighted.
Vance GinnVance Ginn, highlighted.
Alma GoldenAlma Golden, highlighted.
Chadwick R. Gore
David Gortler
Brian Gottstein
Dan GreenbergDan Greenberg, highlighted.
Rob GreenwayRob Greenway, highlighted.
Rachel Greszler
DJ GribbinDJ Gribbin, highlighted.
Garrison GrisedaleGarrison Grisedale, highlighted.
Joseph GroganJoseph Grogan, highlighted.
Andrew Guernsey
Jeffrey GunterJeffrey Gunter, highlighted.
Joe GuyJoe Guy, highlighted.
Joseph GuzmanJoseph Guzman, highlighted.
Amalia Halikias
Richard Hanania
Simon Hankinson
David HarlowDavid Harlow, highlighted.
Derek HarveyDerek Harvey, highlighted.
Jason Hayes
Lou Heinzer
Edie HeipelEdie Heipel, highlighted.
Troup HemenwayTroup Hemenway, highlighted.
Nathan Hitchen
Pete HoekstraPete Hoekstra, highlighted.
Gabriella Hoffman
Tom HomanTom Homan, highlighted.
Chris HornerChris Horner, highlighted.
Mike HowellMike Howell, highlighted.
Valerie HuberValerie Huber, highlighted.
Andrew HughesAndrew Hughes, highlighted.
Joseph Humire
Christopher Iacovella
Melanie Israel
Ken Ivory
Roman JankowskiRoman Jankowski, highlighted.
James Jay CarafanoJames Jay Carafano, highlighted.
Abby Jones
Emilie Kao
Jared M. KelsonJared M. Kelson, highlighted.
Aaron Kheriaty
Ali KilmartinAli Kilmartin, highlighted.
Julie KirchnerJulie Kirchner, highlighted.
Dan Kish
Kenneth A. KlukowskiKenneth A. Klukowski, highlighted.
Adam KorzeniewskiAdam Korzeniewski, highlighted.
Bethany KozmaBethany Kozma, highlighted.
Matthew KozmaMatthew Kozma, highlighted.
Julius Krein
Stanley Kurtz
David LaCerteDavid LaCerte, highlighted.
Paul J. Larkin
Paul LawrencePaul Lawrence, highlighted.
James R. Lawrence IIIJames R. Lawrence III, highlighted.
Nathan Leamer
David LegatesDavid Legates, highlighted.
Marlo Lewis
Ben Lieberman
John LigonJohn Ligon, highlighted.
Evelyn LimEvelyn Lim, highlighted.
Morgan Lorraine ViñaMorgan Lorraine Viña, highlighted.
Mario LoyolaMario Loyola, highlighted.
John G. Malcolm
Joseph Masterman
Earl MatthewsEarl Matthews, highlighted.
Dan Mauler
Drew McCall
Trent McCotterTrent McCotter, highlighted.
Micah MeadowcroftMicah Meadowcroft, highlighted.
Edwin Meese III
Jessica Melugin
Frank Mermoud
Mark Miller
Cleta Mitchell
Kevin E. MoleyKevin E. Moley, highlighted.
Caitlin Moon
Clare MorellClare Morell, highlighted.
Mark MorganMark Morgan, highlighted.
Hunter MorgenHunter Morgen, highlighted.
Rachel Morrison
Jonathan Moy
Iain Murray
Ryan Nabil
Michael Nasi
Lucian NiemeyerLucian Niemeyer, highlighted.
Nazak NikakhtarNazak Nikakhtar, highlighted.
Milan NikolichMilan Nikolich, highlighted.
Kathy Nuebel KovarikKathy Nuebel Kovarik, highlighted.
Caleb Orr
Nina Owcharenko SchaeferNina Owcharenko Schaefer, highlighted.
Matt O’Brien
Michael PackMichael Pack, highlighted.
Leah PedersenLeah Pedersen, highlighted.
Michael PillsburyMichael Pillsbury, highlighted.
Patrick PizzellaPatrick Pizzella, highlighted.
Robert Poole
Christopher B. Porter
Kevin PreskenisKevin Preskenis, highlighted.
Pam PryorPam Pryor, highlighted.
Thomas Pyle
John RatcliffeJohn Ratcliffe, highlighted.
Paul RayPaul Ray, highlighted.
Joseph Reddan
Jay W. Richards
Jordan RichardsonJordan Richardson, highlighted.
Jason RichwineJason Richwine, highlighted.
Shaun Rieley
Lora RiesLora Ries, highlighted.
Leo Rios
Mark RobeckMark Robeck, highlighted.
James RockasJames Rockas, highlighted.
Mark Royce
Reed RubinsteinReed Rubinstein, highlighted.
William Ruger
Austin Ruse
Brent D. Sadler
Jon Sanders
Carla SandsCarla Sands, highlighted.
David Sauve
Brett D. Schaefer
Matt SchuckMatt Schuck, highlighted.
Justin SchwabJustin Schwab, highlighted.
Jon Schweppe
Marc Scribner
Darin SelnickDarin Selnick, highlighted.
Josh Sewell
Kathleen Sgamma
Matt Sharp
Judy SheltonJudy Shelton, highlighted.
Nathan SimingtonNathan Simington, highlighted.
Loren SmithLoren Smith, highlighted.
Zack Smith
Jack Spencer
Adrienne SperoAdrienne Spero, highlighted.
Thomas W. Spoehr
Peter St Onge
Chris StanleyChris Stanley, highlighted.
Paula M. StannardPaula M. Stannard, highlighted.
Parker Stathatos
William SteigerWilliam Steiger, highlighted.
Kenny Stein
Robby Stephany Saunders
Corey StewartCorey Stewart, highlighted.
Mari StullMari Stull, highlighted.
Katharine T. SullivanKatharine T. Sullivan, highlighted.
Brett Swearingen
Michael Sweeney
Robert SwopeRobert Swope, highlighted.
Aaron SzaboAaron Szabo, highlighted.
Katy TalentoKaty Talento, highlighted.
Tony TataTony Tata, highlighted.
Todd ThurmanTodd Thurman, highlighted.
Brett Tolman
Kayla M. TonnessenKayla M. Tonnessen, highlighted.
Joe Trotter
Tevi Troy
Clayton TuftsClayton Tufts, highlighted.
Erin Valdez
Mark VandroffMark Vandroff, highlighted.
Jessica M. Vaughan
John Venable
Andrew N. Vollmer
Greg Walcher
C. Wallace DeWittC. Wallace DeWitt, highlighted.
David M. Walsh
Erin WalshErin Walsh, highlighted.
Jacklyn Ward
Emma Waters
Alexander William Salter
Michael WilliamsMichael Williams, highlighted.
Aaron Wolff
Jonathan WolfsonJonathan Wolfson, highlighted.
Alexei WoltornistAlexei Woltornist, highlighted.
Frank WucoFrank Wuco, highlighted.
Cesar Ybarra
John ZadroznyJohn Zadrozny, highlighted.
Laura Zorc
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