Comedian Kenan Thompson took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention to tear into Project 2025 — the conservative policy plan that former President Trump’s opponents seek to tie him to.
The “Saturday Night Live” star walked onto the stage with a massive book that read “Project 2025” across the front before he ripped into what a second Trump presidency could look like.
“Y’all remember this big old book, from before?” Thompson asked, prompting laughter from the audience. “You ever see a document that could kill a small animal and democracy at the same time? Here it is.”
From the stage, he talked with members of the public through a video call, warning them of what could happen to them if Trump took office and implemented suggestions from Project 2025.
"You know how when you download an app and there are hundreds of pages there that you don't read, it's just the terms and conditions, and you just click, agree, right? Well, these are the terms and conditions of a second Trump presidency. You vote for him. You vote for all of this. Let's take a look,” Thompson said.
One of the calls came from Becky, who said she has been married to her wife for eight years.
“Oh, that's amazing. Very, very cute,” Thompson replied. “But I have got some bad news for you on page 584, Project 2025, calls for the elimination of protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.”
“Right back to the Stone Age, I’m afraid so,” Thompson quipped.
Other members of the public Thompson spoke to included someone who uses insulin to manage her diabetes, an OB-GYN who delivers babies and performs surgeries and a federal worker who is employed in the Department of Education. Thompson continued to flip through the book to tell each of them what could happen to them under Project 2025.
Trump and his campaign have tried to distance themselves from Project 2025, a conservative policy playbook for the next Republican administration spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation.
Democrats, meanwhile, have repeatedly used Project 2025 to attack Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio.). Other speakers at the national convention have also targeted the conservative plan, with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) mocking Project 2025 and instead calling it “Project 1825” and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz hitting the Republican ticket over the project in his Wednesday acceptance speech.
“They spend a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this,” the Minnesota governor said. “But look, I coached high school football long enough to know and trust me on this: When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re going to use it.”
Trump said on Fox News Thursday that it was “disgraceful” for Walz to tie him to the project during his speech Wednesday.
“They know I have nothing to do with it. I had no idea what it was. A group of people got together, they drew up some conservative values, very conservative values,” Trump said on Thursday. “In some case perhaps they went over the line, perhaps they didn’t. I have no idea what Project 25 is.”
