One of former President Donald Trump’s many nicknames is “The Don,” a not-so-subtle reference to Italian Mafia gang culture.
After the ominous warning that the Trump campaign proffered in the wake of a massive Project 2025 shakeup, the reference may not be so far-fetched.
According to multiple outlets, including CNN and Axios, Project 2025 Director Paul Dans has stepped down.
(Project 2025 is a conservative policy plan overseen by the Heritage Foundation.)
Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts lauded Dans in a statement.
“Under Paul Dans’ leadership, Project 2025 has completed exactly what it set out to do: bringing together over 110 leading conservative organizations to create a unified conservative vision, motivated to devolve power from the unelected administrative state, and returning it to the people,” Roberts said.
He added: “This tool was built for any future administration to use.”
Well, not any administration, according to the Trump campaign.
Do you like certain parts of Project 2025?
And that’s because Team Trump is trying to distance itself from Project 2025 as much as possible.
Leftists, Democrats and media operatives have been doing their collective best to tie Trump to some of the conservative values held within Project 2025.
CNN, for instance, had to make sure that it mentioned “[a]t least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration had a hand” in Project 2025.
When reached for comment, Trump representatives offered a biting response to Dans — a former official in the Trump administration — and his sudden departure.
“President Trump’s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign, did not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the president in any way,” the campaign noted, according to Axios.
That’s clear and straight enough, but the campaign added one more, “Godfather”-like warning.
“Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you,” the campaign said.
While Trump is trying to combat the perception that it has anything to do with Project 2025 on one front, on another front, he and his campaign still have to get ready for likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris — a threat he wasn’t exactly preparing for just a few weeks ago.
Despite the apparent momentum of Harris, Real Clear Politics still has Trump ahead of Harris by two points.
