Letitia James Issues AGs Warning to Project 2025

New York Attorney General Letitia James has warned that she and Democratic attorneys general will be prepared to challenge Project 2025’s proposals if Donald Trump wins a second term in November.

Project 2025, created by the conservative Heritage Foundation as a handbook detailing policies for the next Republican president, outlines a dramatic expansion of presidential power and plans to fire thousands of government workers to replace them with Republican loyalists.

It also proposes sweeping changes to remake the federal government, including for the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security to be dismantled.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her allies have repeatedly cited Project 2025 to warn about the dangers of a second Trump term.

Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025 and denied knowing who was behind it. “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform in July.

However, Project 2025’s 900-page handbook was drafted by many of his longtime allies and former Trump administration officials.

In an interview on MSNBC, James said some aspects of Project 2025 had been put forward during Trump’s first term as president.

“Mr. Trump and his administration represents an existential threat to all that we believe in,” she said on Inside with Jen Psaki on Sunday.

“Project 2025 is something that Democratic attorneys general are familiar with. Back in 2016, we defended our democracy. They attempted to put forward aspects of Project 2025 and we were successful 80 percent of the time in winning our cases.”

James said “now that manifesto has been written down and … we are prepared, obviously, to defend our democracy and to defend our freedoms.”

James, who won a nearly $500 million civil fraud judgment against Trump, added: “It’s really critically important that individuals understand that what Donald Trump represents, and that’s why all of us must march in quiet defiance to the polls on Election Day and vote for freedom, vote for liberty and vote for democracy, and vote for a functioning democracy that respects the rights of all individuals, not criticism, not grievances, not division, but unity.”

James’ office and the Trump campaign have been contacted for further comment via email.

Project 2025 has said that it does not speak for any candidate or campaign.

“We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy and personnel recommendations for the next conservative president,” a Project 2025 spokesperson previously said in a statement to Newsweek. “But it is ultimately up to that president, who we believe will be President Trump, to decide which recommendations to implement.”