Project 2025 Is Here — How to Fight Back Starting Local
A recap of Project 2025, how to counter its fascist policies, and a message of hope in these difficult times
The first 10 days of Trump’s term has demonstrated how devastating Project 2025 is, how autocratic it is, and how much worse it will get. Last spring I read the 900+ page Project 2025 fascist manifesto and wrote about it in detail. Over the coming weeks and months we will see this fascist plan continue to unfold. Below, I summarize the key aspects of what to expect under Project 2025. And I offer action items on how to fight back. Indeed, MAGA Republicans have made no secret of their intent to enforce Project 2025 fascism, and we must remain informed to respond. Let’s Address This.
This article has three parts:
A brief overview of Project 2025 and how it is being implemented in real time.
What steps we need Democratic Leadership to take (that they currently are not).
What steps you can take to fight back against fascism, especially locally.
1. Update on Project 2025
I researched, wrote, and published most of these pieces on Project 2025 well before Biden stepped down. Below I share the link to the full article, an excerpt I wrote from each of those articles to summarize its main points, and an update on what we already know about how that aspect of Project 2025 is being deployed.
With Project 2025, we are beyond mere arrival of fascism in America—we are on the cusp of full blown fascism. Project 2025 seeks to fully transform the United States into a banana republic and theocracy—both concepts repugnant to a U.S. Constitution committed to secular governance and equal access under the law. And given the success these right wing extremists have had in taking over the United States Supreme Court and hundreds of members of the United States Congress, it would be unwise to dismiss them as unserious in their attempts to win back the White House.
UPDATE: Cleary I was not being hyperbolic when I said we were on the cusp of full blown fascism. Between 200 Executive Orders, a Muslim Ban 2.0, mass ICE raids targeting children in schools, and massive ethical conflicts between Trump’s personal finances, the Presidency, and billionaire oligarchs, fascism is here and we are seeing the early stages of its impact on our nation.
Project 2025 disregards life, common sense, and science, and views essentially all abortion and reproductive access as evil. Based on what it defines as “biblical values,” Project 2025 ultimately seeks to ban abortion altogether through defunding access, criminalizing access, and denying young people basic education and knowledge of how their own bodies work. It is dead set on transforming our secular government into a theocratic Christian nationalist fascist state. One in which women do not have the fundamental human right of personal autonomy, nor do physicians have the common sense ability to practice medical science according to actual science, not evangelical theocracy.
UPDATE: States like South Carolina have introduced legislation that would allow the state to execute women who receive an abortion—I wrote about that here. Likewise, MAGA attempts to roll back healthcare revolve around limiting and eliminating access to reproductive health. And MAGAs are also openly attacking access to contraception by demanding a repeal of the ACA, which provides contraception access.
Project 2025 views DEI as the source of all ills in America. It is dead set on returning our government and business hiring practices to the Jim Crow era, a time when Black people, Asians, Latinos, and women had no meaningful opportunity for an equal shot at admission, a job, a loan, or a promotion. A Project 2025 administration will absolutely further normalize discrimination against people of color and women, not to mention LGBTQ+ Americans. And Project 2025 absolutely will fine, punish, and arguably imprison for alleged racial discrimination anyone who even mentions the concepts of DEI. It is imperative, therefore, that we do not allow this fascist manifesto to become American policy.
UPDATE: Trump is purging the Federal government of anything related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or accessibility. I wrote about this fascist purge here, which also addresses Trump’s demand that federal employees snitch on each other if anyone is caught “secretly doing DEIA.” Trump has also already initiated numerous anti-LGBTQ broadly initiatives and anti-Trans initiatives specifically.
Project 2025 fears a public education system that calls for meaningful racial justice and accountability, one that holds a mirror up to the injustices of white supremacy, and one that demands equal access to education for children of all races and socio-economic classes. It not only bans teaching about DEI, it demands prosecution of universities and employers who enact DEI practices. Throughout the manifesto, Project 2025 calls for a ban on any instruction that teaches about race or racism in the United States. In short, an education system under a Project 2025 administration would mean a gutting of public education, a transfer o wealth to predominantly white, predominately wealthy families for private school vouchers, an advancement of Christian nationalist theocratic education, a ban on teachings of racial justice, a green light for even violent anti-LGBTQ discrimination, and an exacerbation of existing racial segregation and underfunding of majority Black and Latino institutions.
UPDATE: The Trump regime is ordering ICE to raid public schools and target children. They are set on defunding and eliminating the entire Department of Education. And they are set on removing books that teach about any form of human diversity. In the Project 2025 fascist agenda, only straight while male Christians need apply.
2. What Can Democratic Leadership Do?
Democratic leadership could be doing a lot to hold Trump accountable and slow down his fascist plans. And I, for one, am outraged that they are not living up to the power we’ve entrusted to them. I wrote in November a list of things Biden could do to slow down Trump’s fascist plan. Sadly, he did almost none of them. I still recall being flabbergasted in 2021 and 2022 when Democrats had the House, the Senate, the White House for two years, and the AGs office, and still refusing to act on that power to abolish the filibuster, expand the court, convict Trump, cancel student debt, champion economic populism through the BBB, and more.
Even now, Democrats have no clear message, no clear response to Project 2025, and no clear person leading the party. This is absolutely unacceptable. By the way, former Congresswoman
wrote a brilliant must read piece on this issue.1I am grateful Democrat Attorneys General have filed a lawsuit to block Trump’s spending freeze. But where is the pressure on the GOP AGs to join? Where are the press conferences and media blitzes? Where are the protests by Members of Congress? Where are the guidances on what to do if your care is denied? If your food is denied? If your Section 8 is denied? I should not have to lecture Congress on stuff they should already be doing.
As Indivisible Co-Executive Director Leah Greeberg excellently said:
Dems can:
oppose all Trump nominees until this EO is withdrawn
deny unanimous consent to slow senate proceedings
vote no on all cloture -force quorum calls at every chance
It’s a constitutional crisis. There is absolutely no reason the Senate should be connecting business as usual.
Instead Democrat Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said he would “not stand by as Republicans defund the police” and Democrat House Leader Hakeem Jeffries tweeted that “God is on the throne.”
I don’t have the words to express my disappointment at this lack of urgency and self-awareness. So let’s instead discuss what we as ordinary citizens can and should do.
3. What Should We Be Doing Right Now?
With fascism bearing down on us, we must activate, organize, and invest if we hope to enact meaningful change for justice in the next election. Let’s break down what that looks like with specific action items. Here I reiterate guidance I’ve shared in the past on how you can get involved, even if you don’t know where to begin or don’t have expendable funds. I assure you, you do not need money or power to get involved—you simply need a way to channel your rage into progress. Here are some steps:
Some of these action items below have immediate effect and others take time. I ask you to engage in both types of calls to action. We must act quickly to protect our immigrant neighbors now, and build capacity to change fascist policy in the future.
1. Activate
Get involved in your local politics, which affects you more than most realize. Whether it is your local school board, your local city council, or your local immigrant rights organization—get involved. Show up to the next meeting, meet your local elected officials, and understand the local issues impacting your community. Google is your friend in finding a local calendar of events. Use it. All politics is local, and it is critical you get involved locally.
2. Communicate
Contact your member of Congress (find them here) and relentlessly remind them that you do not support Trump’s fascist agenda. Even if they are not willing to listen to you, inundate them with calls, texts, and emails. Ensure they hear your outrage as much as possible.
3. Invest
Invest your time and your money into the people and organizations doing the front line work. If you have time to volunteer, make phone calls, knock doors, and sign petitions, do so. If you have the financial resources to donate to organizations working to protect our democracy, especially local orgs, please do so. Even a few dollars a month, if you can afford it, goes a long way.
4. Educate
It is critical we remain informed on the key issues, by educating ourselves and those around us. As corporate media sadly continues to capitulate to fascism, support writers and human rights lawyers working to stop fascism in America (e.g. like yours truly). Read the work of non-profit media like ProPublica, The Appeal, and more. We may not have the billions of dollars in dark money from corporate autocrats, but we have strength in numbers and your support makes that difference.
5. Organize
Bring friends with you. You are the best ambassador for justice in your friend group—lead by example. Grab even one friend and drag them with you to the next school board meeting, city council session, next phone banking session to an elected official, or town hall in your local community. We need to build organizational capacity, and means each one reaches one to get involved. (And when your friend comes to the second meeting, it is their opportunity to reach one more and bring them with).
Conclusion
Let me acknowledge the reality of where we are, and offer a message of hope. Yes, Project 2025 is here. And it will do its worst to destroy our lives and install Christian nationalism and religious extremism. When in these stressful times, I reflect on history to find hope. I don't know if these words will be of comfort but here's how I think about things. I think about the pivotal moments in history. Moments like…
When Elizabeth Freeman sued for her freedom in 1780 and set a precedent that ended slavery in Massachusetts.
When Private Mohammed Kahn immigrated from Iran/Afghanistan in 1861 and then immediately enlisted in the Union Army to help win the Civil War.
When Congressman John Lewis faced Jim Crow police brutality marching across the Edmund Pettus bridge in 1965 and got in good trouble.
I think about the fact we all look at these icons and reflect, "How great if I could've been there as the lawyer for Elizabeth Freeman, or the soldier that had Mohammed Kahn's six, or walked lock step with John Lewis as he marched across that bridge?"
This is our moment in 2025. Our moment to demand freedom. Our moment to resist fascism. Our moment to walk across our bridge. So in the future our grandchildren will look back and say, "If only I were alive when [your name] raised their voice against all odds and fought back fascism and injustice, I would have stood with them.”
All this to say, if you feel like crying, don't fight back the tears, let it out. And then channel the rage to write our moment in history. This is our moment. It is ours. And we have the chance to leave our mark as one committed to justice and compassion.
Let us do so with every fiber of our being.
I've emailed my Dem Senators every damn day, sometimes more than once. I also email my MAGA Rep, knowing full well he probably can't read words longer than five letters. Once upon a time, I called John McCain's office so frequently, they would answer, "Oh hello, Dr. Johnson. What's on your mind today?" Credit to McCain and his staffers, they actually would answer specific concerns instead of sending a regurgitation of what I wrote like Sinema always did. And yes, I even thanked Senator McCain a number of times for the good things he did for our country. I'm so angry at Gallego for what would amount to collaboration in Vichy France I could scream. Which is why I don't call.
The staff at my r congressman's office is openly hostile and condescending when I call. One of the staff members told me that the congressman believes, as she does, that we should hate gays "as Christ would have us do." How do you even answer that?