The Many Links Between Project 2025 and Trump’s World

In Politics
October 22, 2024
The Many Links Between Project 2025 and Trump’s World


Led NASA efforts on Trump transition team

Chris Anderson

Office of Senator Steve Daines

No known connection

Jeff Anderson

The American Main Street Initiative

Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics

Michael Anton

Hillsdale College

Deputy assistant to the President for Strategic Communications on the National Security Council

EJ Antoni

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Andrew Arthur

Center for Immigration Studies

Panel member at the Federal Labor Relations Authority

Paul Atkins

Patomak Global Partners

Adviser for financial regulations on Trump transition team

Julie Axelrod

Center for Immigration Studies

Senior adviser to the associate policy director for the Environmental Protection Agency
Operations director for the Presidential Personnel Office Worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign
Special assistant to the president in the Domestic Policy Council

Stewart Baker

Steptoe and Johnson LLP

No known connection

Erik Baptist

Alliance Defending Freedom

Lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency

Brent Bennett

Texas Public Policy Foundation

No known connection

John Berlau

Competitive Enterprise Institute

No known connection

Russell Berman

Hoover Institution

Senior policy adviser in the State Department

Sanjai Bhagat

University of Colorado, Boulder

No known connection

Stephen Billy

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America

Senior adviser in the Office of Management and Budget

Brad Bishop

American Cornerstone Institute

Deputy assistant communications secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development

No known connection

Josh Blackman

South Texas College of Law

No known connection

Jim Blew

Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies

Assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development at the Department of Education

Robert Bortins

Classical Conversations

No known connection

Rachel Bovard

Conservative Partnership Institute

No known connection

Matt Bowman

Alliance Defending Freedom

Deputy general counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services

Steven G. Bradbury

The Heritage Foundation

Deputy transportation secretary, briefly transportation secretary in Jan. 2021

Preston Brashers

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Chief speechwriter to the attorney general

Kyle Brosnan

The Heritage Foundation

Served senior roles at the Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security

Patrick T. Brown

Ethics and Public Policy Center

No known connection

Robert Burkett

ACLJ Action

Held positions in the Department of Defense, Commerce and Labor

Michael Burley

American Cornerstone Institute

Special assistant to the president and associate director of presidential personnel

Jonathan Butcher

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Mark Buzby

Buzby Maritime Associates, LLC

Margaret Byfield

American Stewards of Liberty

No known connection

National deputy director in the Department of Commerce Consultant for Trump transition team

Anthony Campau

Center for Renewing America

Chief of staff and counselor of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget Member of Trump transition team

Frank Carroll

Professional Forest Management

No known connection

Oren Cass

American Compass

No known connection

Brian J. Cavanaugh

American Global Strategies

Special assistant to the president for national security affairs on the National Security Council

Spencer Chretien

The Heritage Foundation

Special assistant to Trump, associate director of presidential personnel

Claire Christensen

American Cornerstone Institute

No known connection

Victoria Coates

The Heritage Foundation

Held senior positions in the Department of Energy and the National Security Council Worked on Trump transition team for National Security Council

Ellie Cohanim

Independent Women’s Forum

Deputy special envoy to combat anti-Semitism at the Department of State
Acting under secretary of defense for intelligence and security in the Department of Defense

Elbridge Colby

Marathon Initiative

Deputy assistant defense secretary for strategy and force development
Deputy chief of staff for policy and director of the office of policy & strategy planning in the Department of Commerce

Lisa Correnti

Center for Family and Human Rights

Delegate to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women

Monica Crowley

The Nixon Seminar

Assistant public affairs secretary for the Department of Transportation

Laura Cunliffe

Independent Women’s Forum

Chief of staff to the ambassador to the United Nations, associate director for education, income maintenance and labor at the Office of Management and Budget

Tom Dans

Amberwave Partners

Counselor to the under secretary for international affairs at the Department of Treasury
Deputy assistant defense secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Member of the Department of Defense transition team and surrogate for Trump’s 2016 campaign

Chris De Ruyter

National Center for Urban Operations

No known connection

Corey DeAngelis

American Federation for Children

No known connection

Caroline DeBerry

Paragon Health Institute

No known connection

Arielle Del Turco

Family Research Council

No known connection

Irv Dennis

American Cornerstone Institute

Chief financial officer of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

David Deptula

Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

No known connection

Chuck DeVore

Texas Public Policy Foundation

No known connection

James Di Pane

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Matthew Dickerson

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Michael Ding

America First Legal Foundation

Deputy White House liaison for Export-Import Bank

David Ditch

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Natalie Dodson

Ethics and Public Policy Center

No known connection

Dave Dorey

The Fairness Center

Deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention at the Department of Homeland Security

Max Eden

American Enterprise Institute

No known connection

Chief financial officer for the Department of Homeland Security

Joseph Edlow

The Heritage Foundation

Deputy director for policy at Citizenship and Immigration Services

Jen Ehlinger

Booz Allen Hamilton

Communications strategist at the State Department

John Ehrett

Office of Senator Josh Hawley

No known connection

Kristen Eichamer

The Heritage Foundation

Deputy press secretary for NASA

Robert S. Eitel

Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies

Senior counselor to the secretary of education

Will Estrada

Parents Rights Foundation

No known connection

Farnaz Farkish Thompson

McGuireWoods

No known connection

Jon Feere

Center for Immigration Studies

Senior adviser to the Director and chief of staff at Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration adviser on Trump’s 2016 campaign, member of Trump transition team

Baruch Feigenbaum

Reason Foundation

No known connection

Travis Fisher

The Heritage Foundation

Adviser in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy

George Fishman

Center for Immigration Studies

Deputy general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security

Leslie Ford

The Heritage Foundation

Special assistant to Trump for domestic policy

Aharon Friedman

Federal Policy Group

Senior adviser to the assistant secretary for tax policy at the Treasury Department

Bruce Frohnen

Ohio Northern University College of Law

No known connection

Director of the office of external affairs and communications at the Economic Development Administration
Deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Transportation Member of Department of Transportation transition team

Caleigh Gabel

American Cornerstone Institute

Special assistant at the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Christopher Gacek

Family Research Council

No known connection

Alexandra Gaiser

River Financial Inc.

Lawyer for the Treasury Department

No known connection

Patty-Jane Geller

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Andrew Gillen

Texas Public Policy Foundation

No known connection

James S. Gilmore

Gilmore Global Group LLC

Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Vance Ginn

Vance Ginn Economic Consulting, LLC

Associate director for economic policy at the Office of Management and Budget

Alma Golden

The Institute for Women’s Health

Deputy assistant administrator for the Agency for International Development

Chadwick R. Gore

Defense Forum Foundation

No known connection

David Gortler

Ethics and Public Policy Center

No known connection

Brian Gottstein

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Dan Greenberg

Competitive Enterprise Institute

Senior policy adviser to the labor secretary

Rob Greenway

Hudson Institute

Senior director of the National Security Council

Rachel Greszler

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

DJ Gribbin

Madrus Consulting

Special assistant to the president for infrastructure at the National Economic Council

Garrison Grisedale

American Cornerstone Institute

Speechwriter for the housing and urban development secretary

Joseph Grogan

USC Schaeffer School for Health Policy and Economics

Director of the United States Domestic Policy Council

No known connection

Jeffrey Gunter

Republican Jewish Coalition

Special assistant to the assistant administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development
Michigan state co-chair for Trump’s 2016 campaign

Amalia Halikias

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Richard Hanania

Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology

No known connection

Simon Hankinson

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Senior counsel to the assistant administrator for air and radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency

Derek Harvey

Office of Representative Devin Nunes

Middle East director on the National Security Council

Jason Hayes

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

No known connection

No known connection

Deputy press secretary at the Office of Management and Budget

Troup Hemenway

Personnel Policy Operations

Associate director for National Security in the Presidential Personnel Office Member of Trump transition team and Trump’s 2016 campaign policy team

Nathan Hitchen

Equal Rights Institute

No known connection

Ambassador to the Netherlands

Gabriella Hoffman

Independent Women’s Forum

No known connection

Tom Homan

The Heritage Foundation

Acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Member of the Trump transition team overseeing the Environmental Protection Agency

Mike Howell

The Heritage Foundation

Oversight counsel at the Department of Homeland Security

Valerie Huber

The Institute for Women’s Health

Chief of staff for the assistant health secretary

Andrew Hughes

American Cornerstone Institute

Chief of staff for the housing and urban development secretary

Joseph Humire

Center for a Secure Free Society

No known connection

Christopher Iacovella

American Securities Association

No known connection

Melanie Israel

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Ken Ivory

Utah State Representative

No known connection

Roman Jankowski

The Heritage Foundation

Acting chief of staff at the privacy office of the Department of Homeland Security

James Jay Carafano

The Heritage Foundation

Primary aide in State Department transition team

No known connection

Emilie Kao

Alliance Defending Freedom

No known connection

Jared M. Kelson

Boyden Gray & Associates

Attorney-adviser in the legal counsel’s office at the Department of Justice

Aaron Kheriaty

Ethics and Public Policy Center

No known connection

Ali Kilmartin

Alliance Defending Freedom

Deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Labor

Julie Kirchner

Federation for American Immigration Reform

Ombudsman of citizenship and immigration services at the Department of Homeland Security Immigration adviser on Trump’s 2016 campaign

Dan Kish

Institute for Energy Research

No known connection

Kenneth A. Klukowski

Schaerr Jaffe

Held positions in the Department of Justice and Office of Management and Budget Senior adviser for Constitutional rights on the Trump transition team

Adam Korzeniewski

American Principles Project

Counsel at the Treasury Department

Bethany Kozma

Keystone Policy

Deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development
Chief information officer of the intelligence community in the office of the director of national intelligence

Julius Krein

American Affairs

No known connection

Stanley Kurtz

Ethics and Public Policy Center

No known connection

David LaCerte

Baker Botts, LLP

Deputy associate director of the Office of Personnel Management

Paul J. Larkin

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Paul Lawrence

Lawrence Consulting

Under secretary for benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs

James R. Lawrence III

Envisage Law

Deputy general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, chief counsel of the Food and Drug Administration

Nathan Leamer

Targeted Victory

No known connection

David Legates

University of Delaware

Deputy assistant secretary of commerce for observation and prediction at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Marlo Lewis

Competitive Enterprise Institute

No known connection

Ben Lieberman

Competitive Enterprise Institute

No known connection

Policy adviser at the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Evelyn Lim

American Cornerstone Institute

Regional administrator at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, deputy chief of staff in the office of the homeland security secretary

Morgan Lorraine Viña

Jewish Institute for National Security of America

Chief of staff for international security affairs for the under secretary of defense

Mario Loyola

Competitive Enterprise Institute

Associate director for regulatory reform at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

John G. Malcolm

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Joseph Masterman

Cooper & Kirk, PLLC

No known connection

Earl Matthews

The Vandenberg Coalition

Acting general counsel of the Department of the Army Served on Trump’s Department of Defense transition team

Dan Mauler

Heritage Action for America

No known connection

Drew McCall

American Cornerstone Institute

No known connection

Trent McCotter

Boyden Gray & Associates

Deputy associate attorney general

Micah Meadowcroft

The American Conservative

White House liaison for the Environmental Protection Agency

Edwin Meese III

The Heritage Foundation

Was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump

Jessica Melugin

Competitive Enterprise Institute

No known connection

Frank Mermoud

Orpheus International

No known connection

Mark Miller

Office of Governor Kristi Noem

No known connection

Cleta Mitchell

Conservative Partnership Institute

Joined the call in which Trump asked Georgia’s top election official to find votes for him
Assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs

Caitlin Moon

American Center for Law & Justice

No known connection

Clare Morell

Ethics and Public Policy Center

Special assistant in the Office on Violence Against Women

Mark Morgan

The Heritage Foundation

Acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Hunter Morgen

American Cornerstone Institute

Special assistant to Trump, White House senior adviser for policy and strategy Worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign and Trump transition team

Rachel Morrison

Ethics and Public Policy Center

No known connection

Jonathan Moy

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Iain Murray

Competitive Enterprise Institute

No known connection

Ryan Nabil

National Taxpayers Union

No known connection

Michael Nasi

Jackson Walker LLP

No known connection

Lucian Niemeyer

The Niemeyer Group, LLC

Assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment
Assistant secretary for industry and analysis in the International Trade Administration
Director of defense research and engineering for research and technology in the Department of Defense

Kathy Nuebel Kovarik

Sagitta Solutions, LLC

Policy and strategy chief at Customs and Immigration Services

Caleb Orr

Boyden Gray & Associates

No known connection

Nina Owcharenko Schaefer

The Heritage Foundation

Senior counselor to the health and human services secretary Served on Trump’s landing team for the Department of Health and Human Services

Matt O’Brien

Immigration Reform Law Institute

No known connection

Chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media
Chief innovation officer and director of the Innovation, Technology, Research Hub in the U.S. Agency for International Development

Michael Pillsbury

The Heritage Foundation

Chair of the Defense Policy Board at the Department of Defense Trump said in 2018 that he was the “leading authority on China”

Patrick Pizzella

Leadership Institute

Robert Poole

Reason Foundation

No known connection

No known connection

Kevin Preskenis

Allymar Health Solutions

Chief of staff to the assistant secretary and chief financial officer at the Department of Commerce

Pam Pryor

National Committee for Religious Freedom

Senior bureau official for international organization affairs at the State Department Led faith outreach initiative during Trump’s 2016 campaign

Thomas Pyle

Institute for Energy Research

No known connection

John Ratcliffe

American Global Strategies

Director of national intelligence

Paul Ray

The Heritage Foundation

Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Joseph Reddan

Flexilis Forestry, LLC

No known connection

Jay W. Richards

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Jordan Richardson

Heise Suarez Melville, P.A.

Special assistant to Trump for domestic policy

Jason Richwine

Center for Immigration Studies

Deputy director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Shaun Rieley

The American Conservative

No known connection

Lora Ries

The Heritage Foundation

Acting deputy chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security Served on Trump’s transition team

No known connection

Mark Robeck

Energy Evolution Consulting LLC

Deputy general counsel for energy policy
Deputy chief of staff at the Department of Commerce lowa communications director for Trump’s 2016 campaign

Mark Royce

NOVA-Annandale College

No known connection

Reed Rubinstein

America First Legal Foundation

Deputy associate attorney general

William Ruger

American Institute for Economic Research

Trump nominated him to serve as the ambassador to Afghanistan, though the nomination was returned

Austin Ruse

Center for Family and Human Rights

No known connection

Brent D. Sadler

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Jon Sanders

John Locke Foundation

No known connection

Carla Sands

America First Policy Institute

Ambassador to Denmark Economic adviser on Trump’s 2016 campaign

No known connection

Brett D. Schaefer

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Matt Schuck

American Cornerstone Institute

Special communications adviser at the Broadcasting Board of Governors (now known as U.S. Agency for Global Media) Communications director on Trump’s 2016 campaign in Wisconsin
Deputy general counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency

Jon Schweppe

American Principles Project

No known connection

Marc Scribner

Reason Foundation

No known connection

Darin Selnick

Selnick Consulting

Senior adviser to the veterans affairs secretary

Josh Sewell

Taxpayers for Common Sense

No known connection

Kathleen Sgamma

Western Energy Alliance

No known connection

Matt Sharp

Alliance Defending Freedom

No known connection

Judy Shelton

Independent Institute

Served as an adviser on Trump’s transition team Trump nominated her to the Board of the Federal Reserve, but her nomination stalled in the Senate

Nathan Simington

Federal Communications Commission

Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission

Loren Smith

Skyline Policy Risk Group

Deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Transportation Served on Trump’s landing team for the Department of Labor

Zack Smith

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Jack Spencer

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Adrienne Spero

U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security

Senior counselor to the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

Thomas W. Spoehr

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Peter St Onge

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Chris Stanley

Functional Government Initiative

Chief of congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Census Bureau

Paula M. Stannard

Attorney

Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Health and Human Services Led health care reform on Trump’s transition team

Parker Stathatos

Texas Public Policy Foundation

No known connection

William Steiger

Consultant

Chief of staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development

Kenny Stein

Institute for Energy Research

No known connection

Robby Stephany Saunders

Coalition for a Prosperous America

No known connection

Corey Stewart

Stewart PLLC

Virginia state chair of Trump’s 2016 campaign, was later fired

Mari Stull

American Opportunity Foundation

Senior adviser to the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs

Katharine T. Sullivan

1792 Exchange

Principal deputy assistant attorney general

Brett Swearingen

Miller Johnson

No known connection

No known connection

Special assistant to the deputy assistant defense secretary for stability and humanitarian affairs
Senior counsel on the White House Council on Environment Quality

Katy Talento

AllBetter Health

Health care policy adviser on the White House Domestic Policy Council Health care policy adviser for Trump’s 2016 campaign

Tony Tata

Tata Leadership Group, LLC

Senior adviser to defense secretary Trump nominated him to be defense under secretary for policy, but the confirmation was canceled and nomination was withdrawn

Todd Thurman

American Cornerstone Institute

Digital strategy specialist and White House liaison at the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Brett Tolman

Tolman Group

Adviser to White House on pardons and commutations, secured a pardon for Jared Kushner’s father

Kayla M. Tonnessen

Recovery for America Now Foundation

Chief of staff of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

Joe Trotter

American Legislative Exchange Council

No known connection

Tevi Troy

Mercatus Center

No known connection

Special adviser at the Department of Commerce

Erin Valdez

Texas Public Policy Foundation

No known connection

Mark Vandroff

Fincantieri Marine Group

Senior director for defense policy at the National Security Council

Jessica M. Vaughan

Center for Immigration Studies

No known connection

John Venable

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Andrew N. Vollmer

Mercatus Center

No known connection

Greg Walcher

Natural Resources Group, LLC

No known connection

Counsel to the commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission

David M. Walsh

Takota Group

No known connection

Erin Walsh

The Heritage Foundation

Assistant commerce secretary, director general of the United States Commercial Service Co-led Trump’s State Department transition team

Jacklyn Ward

American Cornerstone Institute

No known connection

Emma Waters

The Heritage Foundation

No known connection

Alexander William Salter

Texas Tech University

No known connection

Michael Williams

American Cornerstone Institute

Principal deputy general counsel in the Department of Housing and Urban Development

No known connection

Acting Principal at the office of the assistant labor secretary for policy
Assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security
Senior White House adviser to the Department of Homeland Security

Cesar Ybarra

FreedomWorks

No known connection

John Zadrozny

America First Legal Foundation

Acting chief of staff of Customs and Immigration Services

No known connection