A new conspiracy theory is being floated by some right-wingers in an attempt to distance President Donald Trump from the controversial Project 2025: Democrats did it.
The project they say—although publicly spearheaded by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation and endorsed by Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio)—was actually a secret plot by Democrats.
The argument highlights a founding member of the Heritage Foundation who currently supports Vice President Kamala Harris and distanced himself from the organization over a decade ago.
Project 2025 aims to “abolish the Deep State and return government to the people.”
Its 922-page policy guidebook outlines steps and positions Trump should take if reelected.
Some proposals fall in line with any given conservative agenda, such as tax and regulatory reform, while others go a step further.
The playbook suggests reversing the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone and making the next Health and Human Services Secretary state that “men and women are biological realities that are crucial to the advancement of life sciences.”
Trump frequently sought to distance himself from the policy agenda and claimed not to know who was behind it—despite at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration having a hand in it, according to CNN.
“I have nothing to do with Project 2025,” Trump said during the presidential debate. “I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it purposely. I’m not going to read it.”
“This was a group of people that got together, they came up with some ideas, I guess some good, some bad,” he added.
Separately, in a Truth Social post in July, 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.”
But as Harris and other Democrats continue to link Trump to the proposals—and as Trump continues to distance himself—a new line of thought is emerging among some of Trump’s fans.
The new conspiracy theory hinges on Mickey Edwards, a founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation and former Republican congressman who recently endorsed Harris.
Edwards, whose real name is Marvin H. Edwards, has long distanced himself from the group, saying in 2013 that its changes since its founding “makes it look like just another hack Tea Party kind of group.”
Edwards endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020 and announced his departure from the Republican party in 2021 over it becoming a “cult” under Trump.
Unsurprisingly, Edwards’ name is not among the more than 300 listed authors and contributors of the playbook.
Despite this, Edwards’ original ties to the Heritage Foundation were sufficient for some right-wingers to conclude that the whole project is a Democratic psyop.
“Mickey Edwards AKA Marvin H. Edwards has endorsed Kamala Harris,” wrote one person on X. “He was a founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation. Yes. The same Heritage Foundation responsible for Project 2025. Understand now?”
“You know who else endorsed Kamala?? Mickey Edwards, trustee of the Heritage Foundation and key author of Project 2025,” echoed another person. “Project 2025 = Kamala.”
“Mickey Edwards openly endorsed Kamala Harris,” said one person. “Edwards was a founding trustee of The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation wrote Project 2025 !! How do democrats justify this one??”
“I have been saying this from day 1,” replied someone else. “Project 2025 is a dem plan. The new Steele dossier.”
“This makes it seem like project 2025 was just a red herring designed to hurt trump,” concluded one user.
The apparent new tactic aimed at discrediting Project 2025’s legitimacy was quickly dismissed by others online.
“So…the Heritage Foundation ginned up Project 2025 to sabotage Trump and get Biden (and then Harris) elected?” remarked someone else. “Well, that’s certainly a take.”
Noted another critic of the theory: “Mickey Edwards left Heritage long ago and has been publicly trashing it for at least a decade.”
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