As the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump approaches, Arizona Democratic leaders have issued an urgent warning about the potential dangers of Project 2025 and Trump’s proposed policies.
During a press conference in Phoenix on Monday, state Sens. Eva Burch and Mitzi Epstein, along with Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, criticized Project 2025 and reaffirmed their support for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
“We have to stop Donald Trump, JD Vance, and their extremist Project 2025 agenda. We have to elect Vice President Kamala Harris, we refuse to go back,” Burch declared.
Implications of a Project 2025 Presidency
Project 2025 is a federal policy agenda aimed at significantly restructuring the executive branch, crafted by former Trump administration officials in collaboration with The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
Trump has denied knowledge of Project 2025, yet a CNN review found that at least 140 former Trump administration personnel were involved in its development.
“The foundations and the organizations that have put this [project 2025] forward are Trump’s people,” Epstein said. “Any sensible person has to see Project 2025 and Trump go hand in hand.”
Epstein described those involved with Project 2025 as Trump’s “henchmen,” suggesting they would follow his orders without question. Trump’s high staff turnover rate during his previous term was noted as a sign of his intolerance for dissent.
The officials warned that Project 2025 would impose extreme government control over citizens’ daily lives, including proposals for a federal abortion ban and the elimination of the Department of Education.
Other significant changes include plans to overhaul the Department of Justice, potentially granting Trump unchecked authority to retaliate against opponents, challenging the DOJ’s traditional independence.
Additionally, Project 2025 could increase taxes on middle-class families by nearly $4,000 annually, cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, and remove caps on prescription drug costs.
Epstein highlighted the negative impact on the school lunch program as a prime example of Project 2025’s shortcomings.
“[Successful people] have talked about how they were raised by a single parent, and the school lunch program was there for them,” Epstein said. “That was the ladder they needed to get to where they were going in life.”
Despite Trump’s denials, his running mate JD Vance has expressed support for some elements of Project 2025, describing them as “good ideas.”
An Ideological Divide
Gallardo emphasized the stark contrast between the candidates’ visions for the future.
“Kamala Harris’ vision for a new way forward will protect our freedom, strengthen our democracy, uphold the rule of law, and cut costs for families,” Gallardo said. “Donald Trump is running to make himself the most powerful president ever and to give him virtually unchecked power and control of Arizona’s daily lives.”
Trump has previously threatened to terminate parts of the Constitution and vowed to imprison his political enemies. Project 2025 outlines how he could achieve these goals.
The group compared Trump to a dictator, warning against the dangers of his potential second term.
“We can’t allow him to destroy our democracy or take away our fundamental freedoms,” Gallardo said. “Only one person can stop Donald Trump for good, and that is Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Epstein warned that Project 2025 could trigger a nationwide recession, leading to business closures and the loss of three million jobs.
“We have one candidate who is only in the race because he wants to take control of our lives and get nearly unlimited power,” Epstein said. “It is up to us to choose a new way forward, to elect leaders who believe in a government that is run by the people and not by corporations.”
Abortion Rights Under Threat
Last week, Trump endorsed Florida’s stringent abortion ban, with intentions to implement similar policies nationwide, according to Burch.
Burch attributed the rollback of women’s rights to Trump, citing his appointment of the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.
In March, Burch spoke on the Senate floor about her own experience with an unviable pregnancy in light of Arizona’s restrictive abortion laws.
Project 2025 aims to enforce a nationwide abortion ban and includes measures to restrict contraception access and monitor women who have miscarriages and abortions.
“His [Trump’s] Project 2025 agenda gives him nearly unrestricted power and control over women and over all Arizonans and our personal lives,” Burch stated.
