President Donald Trump has now openly said that he supports Project 2025, a political plan that lays out a very conservative and controversial vision for how he and his allies want to reshape the U.S. government. By admitting his support, Trump has given Democrats a clear and easy target to attack. The big question now is whether Democrats are brave enough, and organized enough, to take that shot.
For a long time, Trump denied being involved with Project 2025. He dismissed it during his campaign, and many people — including parts of the media — believed him. But it’s clear now that those denials were never honest. Trump has a long history of bending the truth to his advantage. He knows that if he says something confidently enough, many news outlets will just report it as a statement rather than call it a lie. This tactic helped him avoid tough questions during the election. The campaign of Kamala Harris tried to warn voters about Project 2025 and link it to Trump, but their message didn’t quite show how extreme the plan really is.
Now, however, Trump’s public support for Project 2025 changes everything. Democrats have a huge opportunity to show Americans what this plan truly means. It should be easier now for two reasons. First, Project 2025 isn’t just an idea anymore — nearly half of its goals have already been put in motion, according to a community tracker that monitors its progress. Second, both Trump and Russell Vought, his budget director, have openly promised to tear down parts of the federal government. This gives Democrats a massive opening to show voters what’s really at stake.
The smart move for Democrats would be to make this fight about two main things: the possible loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and the extreme religious and political beliefs of Vought himself. Vought is a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist who has said Trump is “God’s gift” to America and that the U.S. should be a nation “under God.” Those ideas go directly against what the U.S. Constitution says — that no one should be judged or excluded from government based on religion. America’s founders, including Jefferson and Washington, made it clear that people of any faith — or none at all — deserve equal rights.
Democrats should take a firm moral stand on two points. First, they need to defend the role of government in helping people, instead of allowing Trump and Vought to destroy it. Second, they must defend the principle of religious freedom — that the U.S. belongs to everyone, not just to one faith or group.
The problem is, Democrats don’t always fight these moral battles strongly. Many of them are afraid to take on Trump over religion, even though most Americans actually agree with them on this issue. Polls show that while a lot of Republicans want the U.S. to be a “Christian nation,” most independents and Democrats do not. But the Democratic Party often avoids talking about religion altogether, missing the chance to connect their values to the nation’s founding principles.
Democrats also struggle to stay united. Recent polls show that more Americans blame Trump and Republicans for the ongoing government shutdown than Democrats — by a wide margin. Even independents see Trump as responsible. This should give Democrats confidence. But some of their senators are already wavering, voting for Republican plans that would reopen the government without addressing the larger issues.
It’s true that many Democrats genuinely care about government workers who are now missing paychecks because of the shutdown. They don’t want people to lose their jobs or suffer financially. Republicans, by contrast, often dismiss these workers as part of the so-called “deep state.” But caring about people doesn’t mean Democrats should back down. They can still protect workers while making it clear that Trump’s shutdown and Project 2025 are dangerous and unpopular.
If Democrats can stand together, they can win this political fight. The public already blames Trump more than them for the chaos in Washington, and most people are tired of it. Project 2025 gives Democrats a powerful example of what Trump’s America would look like — one where government is weakened, jobs are lost, and religious freedom is threatened.
All they have to do is stay firm, speak clearly, and remind Americans of what’s really at stake. History shows Democrats often hesitate in moments like this, but if they can find their voice, this could be a turning point.
