In a Tuesday WarRoom discussion, Paul Dans addressed the wave of misinformation surrounding Project 2025, a comprehensive policy initiative aimed at reforming the U.S. executive branch. Dans, who serves as the director of the project, took to defending the initiative against criticisms that it neglects key issues, such as Supreme Court reforms.

"To be clear, this is not Donald Trump’s Project 2025. This was stood up years ago in 2022, as really a coming together of the conservative movement. We brought over 110 groups together. And, and this is what also rankles the left. Is that there’s a unified group of conservatives on the right that were not, you know, in our constant sibling rivalry constantly but we’ve come together on important areas and really outline that the threat that we don’t accomplish what we need to do is really the architecture of this progressive government that’s been built up.”

Dans emphasizes that Project 2025 is not solely Trump’s initiative but a collaborative effort by the conservative movement, formed before Trump’s current campaign and aimed at reforming the federal government.

Dans explained that Project 2025 is not an exhaustive blueprint for overhauling every aspect of government but rather a focused effort to reinvigorate the executive branch. The project’s critics, including those from MSNBC and other media outlets, have pointed to its lack of detailed proposals for the Supreme Court as evidence of its shortcomings. Dans pushed back against these claims, highlighting that such critiques often stem from misinformation and a misunderstanding of the project’s scope and objectives.

Dans responded to the critics by noting, “The project like Mark had said is really an approach to the executive branch… We have to start with the executive branch where the president really is the sole repository of the executive power.”

He emphasized that Project 2025 is designed to address the executive branch’s inefficiencies and ensure it better reflects the will of the people. By focusing on this area, the project aims to restore executive power to its proper place, counteracting what Dans describes as a “permanent government” that operates outside the influence of ordinary citizens.

Critics have accused Project 2025 of many things, one of which is that it was not interested in the status of the US Supreme Court. Dans argued that this critique is part of a larger misinformation campaign against the project. He pointed out that the absence of detailed proposals from the Supreme Court does not imply that the project is incomplete or flawed. Instead, it reflects a strategic decision to prioritize the executive branch, which Dans believes is crucial for effecting meaningful change.

He elaborated, “What you’re seeing from the left is not an assault on Project 2025. It’s really projection. Project 2025 is calling out the deep state and the progressive government that’s been built up.”

Dans portrayed the criticisms as a deliberate effort to distract from the project’s substantive goals and its impact on government reform. According to Dans, the left’s pushback indicates the project’s significance and threat to the status quo.

Project 2025’s approach, according to Dans, is akin to what think tanks across the political spectrum do—develop policy proposals and strategic recommendations to guide future administrations. He stressed that this is a standard practice among think tanks, whether on the left or right. Dans asserted, “This was stood up years ago in 2022… It was really a coming together of the conservative movement. We brought over 110 groups together.” This collaborative effort aims to provide a comprehensive framework for conservative governance, much like how left-leaning think tanks produce detailed policy proposals.

Dans’s defense of Project 2025 highlights a broader point about the role of think tanks in shaping political discourse. These organizations often become targets of misinformation and misrepresentation, particularly when their proposals challenge entrenched interests or propose significant reforms. In this context, Project 2025’s focus on revitalizing the executive branch should be seen as a strategic initiative rather than a comprehensive blueprint for all aspects of governance.

Dans’s response to Project 2025’s critics underscores the importance of understanding the project’s scope and goals. By focusing on the executive branch, Project 2025 aims to address critical issues within it and counteract what Dans views as a progressive deep state.

Dans argues that the criticism it faces reflects its potential impact and the threat it poses to the current political establishment.

For more context, watch the whole segment featuring Paul Dans:

The Disinformation Campaign Against Project 2025