Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele took to social media on Friday to mock former President Donald Trump for his recent rejection of Project 2025, a conservative governing plan. Steele’s comments came after Trump disavowed the project, claiming ignorance about its details and origins.
“Ok, let’s all play with Stupid for a minute… so exactly how do you ‘disagree’ with something you ‘know nothing about’ or ‘have no idea’ who is behind, saying or doing the thing you disagree with?” Steele wrote on the social platform X. He continued, “Since #Project2025 is designed to institutionalize Trumpism and you know nothing about it, so why do you echo some of its policy priorities during your rallies? Coincidence?” Steele sarcastically added, “And folks say we should be worried about [President] Biden.”
Trump had taken to Truth Social earlier on Friday to distance himself from Project 2025, calling some of its objectives “absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” He claimed to know “nothing about Project 2025” and expressed uncertainty about who was behind it, though he wished them luck. “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it,” Trump wrote. “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.”
Steele was quick to rebuke Trump’s claims, pointing out the project’s connections to high-ranking members of the Trump administration. He highlighted that the project’s director, Paul Dans, once served as chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management, and its associate director, Spencer Chretien, was a former special assistant to Trump.
Project 2025 is a comprehensive 900-page outline of conservative priorities created by the Heritage Foundation, a well-known conservative think tank. The plan is designed to guide a Republican administration should they win the White House. It covers five main topics: “Taking the Reins of Government,” “The Common Defense,” “The General Welfare,” “The Economy,” and “Independent Regulatory Agencies.” Among its many policy proposals is the reimplementation of Schedule F, which would reclassify federal workers to make it easier to fire and replace them with partisan loyalists. According to the Associated Press, this could affect up to 50,000 federal employees.
Steele, who has largely distanced himself from the GOP following Trump’s first term, joined the Lincoln Project PAC in 2020 and endorsed Joe Biden for president. His criticism of Trump was echoed by others, including the Biden-Harris campaign, which took to X to call Trump “desperate and lying.” The campaign also shared a video of Trump speaking at a Heritage Foundation event, asking for the group’s support, though the timing of the video remains unclear.
Project 2025 also released a statement on X, supporting Trump’s remarks. “As we’ve been saying for more than two years now, Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign,” the post read. “We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy & personnel recommendations for the next conservative president.” The project leaders added, “But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.”
The back-and-forth between Steele and Trump highlights the ongoing divisions within the Republican Party, particularly regarding the direction of conservative policy and governance. Steele’s pointed remarks underscore his belief that Trump’s disavowal of Project 2025 is both disingenuous and hypocritical, given the project’s alignment with many of Trump’s own policy priorities.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the debate over Project 2025 and its implications for the future of conservative governance will likely remain a contentious issue. Steele’s critique serves as a reminder of the deep-seated tensions within the GOP and the challenges that lie ahead for any Republican administration seeking to implement such a comprehensive and controversial plan.
Source: Nexstar Media, Inc.
