Project 2025: Trump’s Regime Plan
On 6 November people throughout the United States and much of the world waited anxiously to see who would be the new leader of the country for the next 4 years. On one side, there was Kamala Harris, a Black-South Asian who was a prosecutor and former senator for the state of California. On the other side, there was Donald Trump, former media personality, U.S. president, and convicted felon. Many assumed that because of Trump’s outright hate for practically all marginalized communities, the country wouldn’t dare elect him a second time - they were wrong.
The United States is a country built on the blood, sweat, and tears of Indigenous, Black, Japanese, Latino and many more communities. It prides itself on being a leader in human rights and ‘democracy’ yet the veil is lifting and many are seeing how untrue that statement is. This election outcome, for many, is not that surprising. Many Western countries have been in growing right-wing ideologies, and the U.S. is not immune to that because, in many ways, they have led it. The hate for women, migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, Black people, Latino people, Muslims, Arabs, underprivileged and underserved - the list can go on - is a growing ideology and Trump has made sure that he is the face of it to maintain his support.
Project 2025 emerged in 2022 by a conservative think tank called The Heritage Foundation. It is essentially a road map of what a true conservative America would look like. In other words, ensuring America only benefits straight, cis, white, upper-class men, and white women who are married to those men. To them, equality and equity serve no purpose and this country can do without it. The policy agenda is over 900 pages long, but it roughly states:
Reversing the federally approved abortion pill, mifepristone, and limiting its use and access. It also calls for the Department of Justice to revive the Comstock Act of 1873 to prohibit medications from being sent through the mail.
Removing the Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force from the Department of Health and Human Services and replacing it with a pro-life task force.
Implementing “The Family Agenda” that roughly states that it is only natural for biologically men and women to be together and care for their biological children.
Deploying U.S. military at the Mexico-U.S. border to curtail immigration and adopt an aggressive response to those who try to cross the border. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should have access to sensitive areas (that they are currently restricted from) like schools, churches, and playgrounds.
Ending birthright citizenship and eliminating visas for victims of crimes and human trafficking.
Alerting hospitals that they can lose Medicaid funding if they provide gender-affirming care.
Gutting funding for research into renewable energy and calling for an end to “the war on gas and oil”
End diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools and government bodies.
From reinforcing a 19th-century law to restrict abortion to furthering climate change and worsening its effects, Trump's upcoming regime will be one that harms the U.S. in a way that could take decades to undo. This impact will be felt across groups. Poor women living in the South will feel the brunt of limited reproductive healthcare access. More women will die as a result, especially those who need an abortion in emergency health-related circumstances such as sepsis or hemorrhage, which includes approximately 50,000 lives a year in the U.S.. Migrants running to escape the dangers they are facing in their home countries will have to face the newfound dangers of the U.S. When migration doesn’t have safe passageways, human trafficking increases. When women do not have access to safe abortions, deadly alternatives increase. When individuals do not have access to gender-affirming care, which allows them to live as their true selves, depression, anxiety, and ultimately, suicide increase.
Trump’s pending regime will go into effect come the inauguration that will happen in January 2025. It is ironic that he will be inaugurated on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A day that is meant to honor somebody who fought so hard for peace and equality in this country will now also be a day that a racist, sexist, rapist is officially granted the presidency of one of the most powerful countries in the world. His impact will not only be felt across the 50 states, but it will be felt in other parts of the world. Trump has called African nations and Haiti “shithole” countries. He only emboldened Israel during his first presidency by naming Jerusalem its official capital and placing the U.S. Embassy there. He cut funding for many international humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestine) and left international bodies, including the Paris Climate Accord. There are many guesses as to what he will do with his second term, but what is confirmed is he will further divide the country and the world.
But, this is not a time to surrender to despair. We at Politics4Her reaffirm our commitment to fighting and advocating for a better world - a better world for women, migrants, children, LGBTQ+ friends and so much more. We advocate for a world that tackles climate change and does more for the land that gives us life. We are not giving up. We are here, and we will always be here. Trump will do what he will but not without a fight. Not without resistance.
