Harris vowed to defeat Project 2025, but Trump has distanced himself from the project, calling it 'ridiculous' and not tied to him.
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Shortly after President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, Harris made her opening pitch to the country, arguing that voting for her will allow her to decimate the controversial Project 2025.
"I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation— to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda," she wrote on X on Sunday night.
I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. If you’re with me, add a donation right now.https://t.co/xpPDkCRhoZ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 21, 2024
Created by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 is a road map for the next Republican president, presented in the form of a hefty 922-page playbook.
It aims to enshrine radical conservative policies into the law and erode US government's checks and balances.
Some of its most extreme priorities include: eliminating the Department of Education, prohibiting the FBI from fighting misinformation and disinformation and ending the "war on fossil fuels."
Although Harris said that she is determined to defeat former President Donald Trump and "his extreme Project 2025 agenda," Trump himself has called the project "ridiculous."
He attempted to distance himself from it with a post on his Truth Social on July 5, saying: "I know nothing about Project 2025."
"I disagree with some of the things they're saying and some of the things they're saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal," Trump wrote. "Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them."
And the project itself is not dependent on Trump. Some of the goals outlined in the project don't require a president's involvement at all, and can be carried out by local and state governments.
While Trump denies knowledge or links to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation was one of the sponsors for the Republican National Convention, which saw the GOP nominating Trump for the presidential ticket.
When asked for comment, Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung told BI: "Kamala is the one with the radical, out-of-touch agenda," adding that she is "soft on crime" and "hates American energy production and jobs."
Harris' statement comes shortly after President Biden quit the race, following weeks of calls from top Democrats telling him to step aside or risk losing the election.
"While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," Biden wrote in a letter posted on social media.
Representatives for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.
