As someone who has read an awful lot about Hitler and the Nazi party and now Trump and Project 2025, I can confidently draw parallels between the two. For anyone who thinks Project 2025 is in anyway good for America or that this is what America was supposed to be, think again. What a sad, sad place this would be should any of this plan be realized.
Sharon, I'd like to know what Kevin Roberts means when he says, the “deep state of entrenched leftist bureaucrats,” and that he supports AAF’s efforts to root out “bad actors.” Deep state to me has always seemed like a conspiracy theory that never goes away. Rooting out bad actors, in my opinion, simply means removing anyone who isn't inline with Project 2025, correct? You know who else did that? Hitler.
This all feels very much like the “first they came…” poem. Absolutely terrifying. And scary that it will happen right under peoples noses because they don’t want to pay attention to politics or don’t like the choices we have!!! Ugh
To your point, last night I watched a news segment where a reporter asked people on the street what they thought of the SCOTUS's decision. All but one even knew about it. But then when told, two thirds didn't care! Keep in mind that these were people of various ages and ethnic groups. Being oblivious and then not caring?? I hope that isn't a representation of America as a whole.
Grave concern of mine and I actually do think that is reality. And then if that is true do we hope that the incumbent benefits works in Biden’s favor? At the same time, what can we do to share in a non political way; what these SC decisions mean to every day people and why we can’t have this behavior to be allowed and to go unchecked?
I'd love to know, too, as the message I'm getting if I do share anything now to "get the word out" is that it's meaningless. People believe what they believe and educating or sharing truths (like the election wasn't stolen) is an excercise in futility. People get angry, rude and counter with absurdities. Proof means nothing, even if it's in black and white or coming straight from the horse's mouth. It's twisted, called a lie or a conspiracy and rejected outright. No critical thinking or common sense in many cases. I wish I knew the answer.
Same experience- that’s what makes me feel so distraught! I’ve read several other articles this morning, and I mutter to myself - yes, I agree all concerning and even some additional things I hadn’t considered of what the SC decisions can mean…and yet in thinking but I don’t need convincing- it’s the voters that aren’t sure yet, or are planning on voting for Trump - are they enough voting yes for Biden + how many do we need to swing over to win. Biden barely won last time! And where I live, there are large number of white suburban women who will still vote for Trump - why, why, why????
YES, exactly! None of it happens over night. Little by little, the pieces are placed. Don't like an obstacle, remove it. Don't like a group of people, villainize and harrass them. Punish those who disagree. Blame a group of people for your country's problems, and then play upon that to stoke violence, racism, hatred. Hateful people will do hateful things. Many people will say it will never get to "that" point, but I don't want it to get to any of these points. It's interesting that the one party who seems to believe their rights and freedoms are being taken away are the very ones taking them away from others.
I’m currently reading In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and definitely see the parallels between 1933 (and beyond through the war) Germany and Trump/Project 2025. It is alarming!
On a beautiful autumn day in 2001, I found myself on a train in Germany seated next to an elderly woman. We struck up a friendly conversation (in German) and after some time I hesitantly asked her if I could ask about her memories of Germany during World War II. She immediately and plaintively said “We didn’t know! We did not know what the Nazis were capable of! They talked about families and getting back to our rural roots. They talked about the economy. We were so poor after World War I. So desperate not to be ashamed. We could not have known…” and then she hung her head and said “But we are still sorry. Still so sorry that by the time we believed them… it was too late.”
I minored in German and took multiple semesters on the Propaganda of the Third Reich. I have read “Mein Kampf” in the original German and listened to both Hitler and Josef Göbel. Project 2025 is not identical, but the root of the tree is the same. And we will not be able to say we didn’t know, because they’re telling us.
What I find most threatening about P2025 is their methods. People are feee to believe and support just about any view, but the democratic (little d) way to pursue them is in the ballot box, not through harassment of appointed officials and civil servants. Feels like they fear the voting process won’t work so they have to subvert it. And to that I say big NOPE.
“They also want the government to state that married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure because all children should be raised by the men and women who conceived them.”
Wait until they hear about foster care and adoption, they’re not going to like it since kids are not raised by those who conceived them.
Same thoughts. All children should most certainly NOT be raised by the men and women who conceived them. There are many, many instances where the men and women who conceived a child should not be raising them.
As a stepparent, I immediately felt this part too. The entire thing is horrific, but this part made me go “huh, so because I’m a stepparent I’m not an ideal family for my son.” Women had their bodily autonomy taken away 2 years ago when Roe was repealed, but men should feel equally attacked by this statement. I know many men who are amazing adoptive dads and stepparent dads and foster dads (and there are many biological dads who are awful).
This is insulting to all parents, biological or not, to insinuate that our love and our ability to be a good parent rests solely on the basis of genetic contribution.
It’s clear they want to remove LGBTQ rights and protections, but it feels like the language they’re using could also be masking a desire to remove numerous women’s rights as well. “Gender” and “gender equality” are very broad terms. Outside of reproductive rights/abortion, what women’s rights do they want go after?
My thoughts, from what I’ve seen spoken about from mega church pastors and others in the Christian nationalist community, it’s a wide range of ways they want to change a woman’s rights. Many disagree with women being able to divorce their husbands, some disagree with women being able to vote. The New Evangelicals on instagram does a good job of sharing podcasts and interviews where these beliefs are being shared.
Yeah, I've heard chatter about folks on the far right wanting to get rid of no-fault divorces, which would make it much more difficult for people to escape abusive marriages.
Right!? Life is not a perfect package that fits neatly into a standard box. I bet the Trump family or any other Republican family has its share of LGBTQ members. How can they alone determine who is an invited guest to the party of Life. Disastrous and pathetic on many levels.
I am so angry and terrified about the future that my kids are going to have. I have a gay daughter who would like to get married one day and start a family. How is that remotely "American" to tell a group of people they don't get those opportunities here?
Sharon, can you discuss this in an upcoming Q&A or post? I know there are scholars who have been discussing that these kinds of actions are fascist, but I would love to hear your take.
Sharon, I know you said that some of the head honchos over at Heritage/Project 2025 don't believe that Project 2025 will be fully implemented if their candidate is elected. But change doesn't (usually) happen all at once, right? Even incremental change toward their vision is still worrisome and perhaps more insidious. It's like the frog in the cooking pot. The water ain't boiling when he gets in, but it'll be boiling before long.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it matters that they're saying all these things out loud. Even if they don't think they can reach all their goals in 2025, they still plan to reach their goals, right?
Completely matters they are saying it out loud - look at the long game played to overturn Roe. They are so emboldened by that success, they don’t feel a need to operate in shadows. They rigged the system so they can say it out loud and tell you what they will do and so far they have been able to do it given enough time…
Someone may have already addressed this but I believe I do recall her mentioning in a video Q&A response that the goal is more long term. So yes, this is not a four year plan, but a more broad range system overhaul. Still scary . . 😱
Being in the boomer range and have always voted I have never felt worried as I do now. I draw on the idea of what is said during the planning and discussion sessions.
I am also stuck on the why? Why does abortion matter to anyone, especially elderly males? Why do people’s gender and sexuality matter to anyone else?
We need to get this information out. IT’S A BIG DEAL
Hi Sharon! I was wondering about “They also want the government to state that married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure because all children should be raised by the men and women who conceived them” - this seems to have implications for adoption as well as infertility treatments (donor sperm and eggs for example), any more specifics on that or just the nebulous “ideal”?
Yes this is a major red flag. What about divorce and remarriage situations. This leans towards divorce not being allowed because” men and women should be raising the children they conceive.” Trump didn’t do this; and many many people fall in this category!
I just read that in some states, Texas being one example, there are Republicans working on taking away No Fault Divorce, essentially making it very hard for women to leave marriages without a good enough reason in the eyes of the government.
Also I really need to figure out how to get the message out to other women how to as Project 2025 can be without coming across as hysterical and fear mongering. Many women in the area I live in are very conservative except they used IVF and get divorced - I doubt they think it could even apply to them but the very way in which they got their 2nd husband and their children are all in the line and they are clueless!
I’m trying to get more info on “think tanks”. Good ole Wikipedia says they’ve been around a long time and range from far right to far left along with an array of subject matter. But how much effect these think tanks have on our lives would be interesting to know. Would love a deep dive on this topic!? Better reading material (than Wikipedia 😂) on the subject?
Thank you, Sharon, for all your research and work. I’ve really enjoyed your instagram posts and now preamble! Very informative!
I can help a little though I agree I would love for Sharon to talk more about them! Think Tanks you may have heard of: Heritage and American Enterprise Institute (AEI) on the right and Brookings and Center for American Progress more left-leaning. But there are tons of think tanks, many specializing in a specific area of thought, such as foreign relations, civil rights, economics, etc. Think tanks often employ a mix of “thinkers” (PhD experts) and former Administration or Hill officials who work to get their ideas out to the country and (more importantly to them) to policy makers through things called White Papers, as well as meetings, hosted events and research. Where lobbyists generally use relationships to effect (affect? I’m actually not sure) legislation, think tanks use research and data (in theory), though they are relying more and more on relationships too.
My completely anecdotal experience is that the influence of think tanks has grown exponentially in the last twenty years.
Technically, as it is written. But I am sure that is not the intended purpose. The purpose is to go after trans students specifically. Additionally, I have cis gender family members that go by their middle names because of over use of “family names”. As a teacher, I would like to know what would happen to me if I didn’t comply. I imagine I could lose my job. I think they keep the language of the rule broad for two reasons. 1: it covers the group they intend it to so if I the teacher break that rule I can be punished. And 2: if they really want to get rid of me, it’s broad enough that there’s likely evidence of me calling a cis gender student by their nickname so technically they can get me that way too.
Yes. I 100% agree with you that it's not the intent. And like you mentioned, it creates a reason to go after just about any person for another reason they are "disliked." I'm sorry you have to endure this as you're trying to do a very important job! Thanks for the work that you do.
I can also see that the next logical step is that teachers have to correct other students who do not use each other’s legal names. Either way, guess I’m gonna get fired because I refuse to deadname a student under any circumstances.
How about being put on a sex offender list?! My state representative, Jamie Gragg, introduced MO HB 2885: this “creates the offense of contributing to social transition, which a person commits if he or she, acting in his or her official capacity as a TEACHER or SCHOOL COUNSELOR, provides support to a child regarding social transition. The offense is a class E felony. A person found guilty of such offense will be required to register on Tier I of the SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY.” (Emphasis mine) Social Transition is “providing support, regardless of whether the support is material, information, or other resources to a child regarding social transition.” So if I use a child’s preferred name or pronoun then I could be put on the sex offender registry! I am horrified and disgusted!
They did this to my friend’s son while he was still in foster care. He wanted to be called a different name than his birth certificate (think AJ instead of Arthur) and she had to receive written permission.
I had SO many thoughts reading this, and most them have already been covered here. So I'll just add that it sounds like they're trying to create their version of some utopian, "ideal" society. That has never worked in the entire history of the world. You cannot legislate an ideal (or some group's version of "ideal") society into existence.
As someone who has read an awful lot about Hitler and the Nazi party and now Trump and Project 2025, I can confidently draw parallels between the two. For anyone who thinks Project 2025 is in anyway good for America or that this is what America was supposed to be, think again. What a sad, sad place this would be should any of this plan be realized.
Sharon, I'd like to know what Kevin Roberts means when he says, the “deep state of entrenched leftist bureaucrats,” and that he supports AAF’s efforts to root out “bad actors.” Deep state to me has always seemed like a conspiracy theory that never goes away. Rooting out bad actors, in my opinion, simply means removing anyone who isn't inline with Project 2025, correct? You know who else did that? Hitler.
Thanks again for your tireless work.
This all feels very much like the “first they came…” poem. Absolutely terrifying. And scary that it will happen right under peoples noses because they don’t want to pay attention to politics or don’t like the choices we have!!! Ugh
Or because they happen to agree with some of these policies and therefore think nothing will ever happen to turn the tide against them.
To your point, last night I watched a news segment where a reporter asked people on the street what they thought of the SCOTUS's decision. All but one even knew about it. But then when told, two thirds didn't care! Keep in mind that these were people of various ages and ethnic groups. Being oblivious and then not caring?? I hope that isn't a representation of America as a whole.
Grave concern of mine and I actually do think that is reality. And then if that is true do we hope that the incumbent benefits works in Biden’s favor? At the same time, what can we do to share in a non political way; what these SC decisions mean to every day people and why we can’t have this behavior to be allowed and to go unchecked?
I'd love to know, too, as the message I'm getting if I do share anything now to "get the word out" is that it's meaningless. People believe what they believe and educating or sharing truths (like the election wasn't stolen) is an excercise in futility. People get angry, rude and counter with absurdities. Proof means nothing, even if it's in black and white or coming straight from the horse's mouth. It's twisted, called a lie or a conspiracy and rejected outright. No critical thinking or common sense in many cases. I wish I knew the answer.
Same experience- that’s what makes me feel so distraught! I’ve read several other articles this morning, and I mutter to myself - yes, I agree all concerning and even some additional things I hadn’t considered of what the SC decisions can mean…and yet in thinking but I don’t need convincing- it’s the voters that aren’t sure yet, or are planning on voting for Trump - are they enough voting yes for Biden + how many do we need to swing over to win. Biden barely won last time! And where I live, there are large number of white suburban women who will still vote for Trump - why, why, why????
I too have read WWII, Hitler, etc. it’s insidious then, when it’s too late, it’s obvious. So many parallels then and now.
YES, exactly! None of it happens over night. Little by little, the pieces are placed. Don't like an obstacle, remove it. Don't like a group of people, villainize and harrass them. Punish those who disagree. Blame a group of people for your country's problems, and then play upon that to stoke violence, racism, hatred. Hateful people will do hateful things. Many people will say it will never get to "that" point, but I don't want it to get to any of these points. It's interesting that the one party who seems to believe their rights and freedoms are being taken away are the very ones taking them away from others.
I could go on and on...
Also— going after the courts and placing “friendly” justices; attacking the press and undermining any “fact-setting.” You are absolutely right
I’m currently reading In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and definitely see the parallels between 1933 (and beyond through the war) Germany and Trump/Project 2025. It is alarming!
Exactly this, the “bad actors” are always changing. It’s just an excuse to remove people you don’t like to continue to consolidate and maintain power!
I agree, Sherry. As I was reading this, I couldn’t help but draw the parallels between this and Hitler/the Nazis. Very scary!!
On a beautiful autumn day in 2001, I found myself on a train in Germany seated next to an elderly woman. We struck up a friendly conversation (in German) and after some time I hesitantly asked her if I could ask about her memories of Germany during World War II. She immediately and plaintively said “We didn’t know! We did not know what the Nazis were capable of! They talked about families and getting back to our rural roots. They talked about the economy. We were so poor after World War I. So desperate not to be ashamed. We could not have known…” and then she hung her head and said “But we are still sorry. Still so sorry that by the time we believed them… it was too late.”
I minored in German and took multiple semesters on the Propaganda of the Third Reich. I have read “Mein Kampf” in the original German and listened to both Hitler and Josef Göbel. Project 2025 is not identical, but the root of the tree is the same. And we will not be able to say we didn’t know, because they’re telling us.
Why isn’t this being discussed by any candidates or in the media?
What I find most threatening about P2025 is their methods. People are feee to believe and support just about any view, but the democratic (little d) way to pursue them is in the ballot box, not through harassment of appointed officials and civil servants. Feels like they fear the voting process won’t work so they have to subvert it. And to that I say big NOPE.
“They also want the government to state that married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure because all children should be raised by the men and women who conceived them.”
Wait until they hear about foster care and adoption, they’re not going to like it since kids are not raised by those who conceived them.
Oh wait. 🙄
Same thoughts. All children should most certainly NOT be raised by the men and women who conceived them. There are many, many instances where the men and women who conceived a child should not be raising them.
As a stepparent, I immediately felt this part too. The entire thing is horrific, but this part made me go “huh, so because I’m a stepparent I’m not an ideal family for my son.” Women had their bodily autonomy taken away 2 years ago when Roe was repealed, but men should feel equally attacked by this statement. I know many men who are amazing adoptive dads and stepparent dads and foster dads (and there are many biological dads who are awful).
This is insulting to all parents, biological or not, to insinuate that our love and our ability to be a good parent rests solely on the basis of genetic contribution.
I was thinking the same thing!
It’s clear they want to remove LGBTQ rights and protections, but it feels like the language they’re using could also be masking a desire to remove numerous women’s rights as well. “Gender” and “gender equality” are very broad terms. Outside of reproductive rights/abortion, what women’s rights do they want go after?
My thoughts, from what I’ve seen spoken about from mega church pastors and others in the Christian nationalist community, it’s a wide range of ways they want to change a woman’s rights. Many disagree with women being able to divorce their husbands, some disagree with women being able to vote. The New Evangelicals on instagram does a good job of sharing podcasts and interviews where these beliefs are being shared.
Yeah, I've heard chatter about folks on the far right wanting to get rid of no-fault divorces, which would make it much more difficult for people to escape abusive marriages.
I believe there are already bills in several state legislatures attempting to get rid of no fault divorce.
Oh jeez.
Do you have any links to proposed bills?
This isn’t a link to the bills, but it is an article that lists states with legislators who are working toward that end. https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/25/republicans-no-fault-divorce
What a nightmare!
The more I learn about Project 2025, the more horrifying it becomes.
Right!? Life is not a perfect package that fits neatly into a standard box. I bet the Trump family or any other Republican family has its share of LGBTQ members. How can they alone determine who is an invited guest to the party of Life. Disastrous and pathetic on many levels.
I am so angry and terrified about the future that my kids are going to have. I have a gay daughter who would like to get married one day and start a family. How is that remotely "American" to tell a group of people they don't get those opportunities here?
Yes this is awful!!
This sounds more and more like fascism not populism. Can you review each and give examples so we may understand the difference?
I agree Vicki. It absolutely sounds like fascism.
Sharon, can you discuss this in an upcoming Q&A or post? I know there are scholars who have been discussing that these kinds of actions are fascist, but I would love to hear your take.
I would appreciate this. Good idea Vicki.
Sharon, I know you said that some of the head honchos over at Heritage/Project 2025 don't believe that Project 2025 will be fully implemented if their candidate is elected. But change doesn't (usually) happen all at once, right? Even incremental change toward their vision is still worrisome and perhaps more insidious. It's like the frog in the cooking pot. The water ain't boiling when he gets in, but it'll be boiling before long.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it matters that they're saying all these things out loud. Even if they don't think they can reach all their goals in 2025, they still plan to reach their goals, right?
Completely matters they are saying it out loud - look at the long game played to overturn Roe. They are so emboldened by that success, they don’t feel a need to operate in shadows. They rigged the system so they can say it out loud and tell you what they will do and so far they have been able to do it given enough time…
Someone may have already addressed this but I believe I do recall her mentioning in a video Q&A response that the goal is more long term. So yes, this is not a four year plan, but a more broad range system overhaul. Still scary . . 😱
I agree that they’ll accept even small moves towards their ultimate goal. That’s how they got Roe overturned.
The Supreme Court is doing their work now with overturning Roe and Chevron.
That was exactly my thought when Chevron was overturned.
I have so many thoughts that have somehow culminated in me having no words other than this is all terrifying.
So very true, Heather! That is EXACTLY how I feel. I feel paralyzed with fear.
Being in the boomer range and have always voted I have never felt worried as I do now. I draw on the idea of what is said during the planning and discussion sessions.
I am also stuck on the why? Why does abortion matter to anyone, especially elderly males? Why do people’s gender and sexuality matter to anyone else?
We need to get this information out. IT’S A BIG DEAL
I know your questions were somewhat rhetorical but it still needs to be said out loud. It’s all about Power.
Hi Sharon! I was wondering about “They also want the government to state that married men and women are the ideal, natural family structure because all children should be raised by the men and women who conceived them” - this seems to have implications for adoption as well as infertility treatments (donor sperm and eggs for example), any more specifics on that or just the nebulous “ideal”?
Yes this is a major red flag. What about divorce and remarriage situations. This leans towards divorce not being allowed because” men and women should be raising the children they conceive.” Trump didn’t do this; and many many people fall in this category!
I just read that in some states, Texas being one example, there are Republicans working on taking away No Fault Divorce, essentially making it very hard for women to leave marriages without a good enough reason in the eyes of the government.
Some states already make it difficult or impossible to divorce until after a pregnant wife gives birth.
I believe they will try that and this project 2025 is the blue print. Very very troubling
Also I really need to figure out how to get the message out to other women how to as Project 2025 can be without coming across as hysterical and fear mongering. Many women in the area I live in are very conservative except they used IVF and get divorced - I doubt they think it could even apply to them but the very way in which they got their 2nd husband and their children are all in the line and they are clueless!
Yes! How do we do that? I've mentioned it to some conservatives and they tell me Project 2025 is just a Democrat conspiracy theory. 🤯
WHAT??????
Now I'm really scared!!!! They need meet the men behind this.
I’m trying to get more info on “think tanks”. Good ole Wikipedia says they’ve been around a long time and range from far right to far left along with an array of subject matter. But how much effect these think tanks have on our lives would be interesting to know. Would love a deep dive on this topic!? Better reading material (than Wikipedia 😂) on the subject?
Thank you, Sharon, for all your research and work. I’ve really enjoyed your instagram posts and now preamble! Very informative!
I can help a little though I agree I would love for Sharon to talk more about them! Think Tanks you may have heard of: Heritage and American Enterprise Institute (AEI) on the right and Brookings and Center for American Progress more left-leaning. But there are tons of think tanks, many specializing in a specific area of thought, such as foreign relations, civil rights, economics, etc. Think tanks often employ a mix of “thinkers” (PhD experts) and former Administration or Hill officials who work to get their ideas out to the country and (more importantly to them) to policy makers through things called White Papers, as well as meetings, hosted events and research. Where lobbyists generally use relationships to effect (affect? I’m actually not sure) legislation, think tanks use research and data (in theory), though they are relying more and more on relationships too.
My completely anecdotal experience is that the influence of think tanks has grown exponentially in the last twenty years.
Thanks for the info, Liz.👍
So if my child's name is Elizabeth, school needs written permission to call her Lizzie...
Technically, as it is written. But I am sure that is not the intended purpose. The purpose is to go after trans students specifically. Additionally, I have cis gender family members that go by their middle names because of over use of “family names”. As a teacher, I would like to know what would happen to me if I didn’t comply. I imagine I could lose my job. I think they keep the language of the rule broad for two reasons. 1: it covers the group they intend it to so if I the teacher break that rule I can be punished. And 2: if they really want to get rid of me, it’s broad enough that there’s likely evidence of me calling a cis gender student by their nickname so technically they can get me that way too.
Yes. I 100% agree with you that it's not the intent. And like you mentioned, it creates a reason to go after just about any person for another reason they are "disliked." I'm sorry you have to endure this as you're trying to do a very important job! Thanks for the work that you do.
I can also see that the next logical step is that teachers have to correct other students who do not use each other’s legal names. Either way, guess I’m gonna get fired because I refuse to deadname a student under any circumstances.
How about being put on a sex offender list?! My state representative, Jamie Gragg, introduced MO HB 2885: this “creates the offense of contributing to social transition, which a person commits if he or she, acting in his or her official capacity as a TEACHER or SCHOOL COUNSELOR, provides support to a child regarding social transition. The offense is a class E felony. A person found guilty of such offense will be required to register on Tier I of the SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY.” (Emphasis mine) Social Transition is “providing support, regardless of whether the support is material, information, or other resources to a child regarding social transition.” So if I use a child’s preferred name or pronoun then I could be put on the sex offender registry! I am horrified and disgusted!
They did this to my friend’s son while he was still in foster care. He wanted to be called a different name than his birth certificate (think AJ instead of Arthur) and she had to receive written permission.
I had SO many thoughts reading this, and most them have already been covered here. So I'll just add that it sounds like they're trying to create their version of some utopian, "ideal" society. That has never worked in the entire history of the world. You cannot legislate an ideal (or some group's version of "ideal") society into existence.