Trump assassination attempt stirs memories of similar attack on Reagan
This weekend’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump shook the nation as the press searchs for answers and the political class manages boiling tensions within the two political parties. Naturally, many have compared the nearly fatal incident to the most similar past attempt on a president’s life — the shooting of President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was shot in the chest by deranged gunman John Hinckley on Mar. 30, 1981, approximately two months into his first term in office. He was 70 years old when the attack took place outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY BEING INVESTIGATED AS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT The Trump campaign has leaned into the comparisons, bolstered by Trump’s unexpected gestures of strength to the crowd following the shooting. “I compare President Trump to President Ronald Reagan. You get historic respect for this. This is a historic moment in a historic campaign,” Trump pollster John McLaughlin told the New York Post. Reporters and commentators scrambled to compile accurate information regarding the shooter, his motivations, and whether Trump was critically wounded. “I just spoke to my father on the phone and he is in great spirits,” Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital in a statement on Saturday as the situation became more clear. “He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him.” FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDS SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS Patti Davis, daughter of the former president, published an essay in the New York Times on Sunday explaining the effects an assassination attempt can have on a family tied to politics. In her piece, Davis recalls the moment she was informed of the attack on her father’s life. She described her assigned Secret Service agents entering her therapist’s office during a session and seeing the look of concern on their faces. “The day was one of the longest of my life,” Davis wrote. “I didn’t know if my father, Ronald Reagan, would live, and I found out later that the doctors searching for bullet fragments in his chest didn’t know, either.” After being shot in the ear and ducking to the ground, Trump was surrounded by Secret Service agents ordering him to move towards a van to evacuate the area. TRUMP RALLY VICTIM IS A FORMER FIRE CHIEF WHO HEROICALLY SHIELDED WIFE AND DAUGHTERS FROM BULLETS In an instantly iconic moment, Trump briefly halted his exit to pump his fist at the audience in a gesture of solidarity. Blood was visible on his face as he shouted “Fight!” repeatedly. Reagan, who did not have such a massive audience to witness the shooting as Trump did, instead made headlines for his disposition entering the emergency room. “Honey, I forgot to duck,” he famously told his wife Nancy as he arrived at the hospital, quoting famous boxer Jack Dempsey’s remark to his wife after losing the World Heavyweight title to Gene Tunney. While Reagan’s brush with death is the most common comparison, it was not the most recent attempted assassination of a president. In 2005, Georgian citizen Vladimir Arutyunian tried to assassinate former President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili during the former’s appearance in Tbilisi during a state visit. The grenade was live and intended to explode, but failed to detonate. Arutyunian was eventually found and arrested by Georgian authorities. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Only four sitting presidents have been assassinated while in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley says ‘politics is secondary’ after Trump assassination attempt
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said Sunday that “politics is secondary” after the assassination attempt on former President Trump. Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Whatley said he still expects Trump to attend the upcoming nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that begins on Monday. Host Shannon Bream asked Whatley about the Sunday editorial in the Wall Street Journal that the assassination attempt at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania presents an opportunity for Trump and his party to call for political unity at the Republican National Convention. The Journal editors argued that Trump “will make a mistake if he blames Democrats for the assassination attempt” on Saturday, and “if the Trump campaign is smart, and thinking about the country as well as the election, it will make the theme of Milwaukee a call to political unity and the better angels of American nature.” The board added that “the country wants civil disagreement and discourse, not civil war.” “Look, I think unity is obviously very important. I think strength is obviously very important. But right now, this morning, I think politics is secondary,” Whatley said in response. RNC’S SECRET SERVICE CLASH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AFTER DEADLY TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING “I think right now we need to be praying for these families that have been affected,” he added. “I think we need to be grateful that President Trump is alive and is actually going to be here, and certainly, we look forward to him being here in Milwaukee, and I think it’s going to be tremendously important for him to be here, and to deliver that message to America.” Bream also asked the chairman whether he feels that the shooting “is a bit of a wake-up call that rhetoric has gotten so heated,” given Democrats have claimed Trump’s re-election would end democracy as we know it. Trump’s former attorney general, Bill Barr, told Fox News on Saturday night that Democrats must stop their “grossly irresponsible talk” about Trump being “an existential threat to democracy.” “Where do we go in our political conversation? I mean, this country is built on being able to disagree and do it in a very heated way, but what about this?” Bream posed to Whatley. WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN HAD EXPLOSIVES IN CAR PARKED NEAR RALLY, BOMB MAKING MATERIALS AT HOME: SOURCES “Well, it is, but there is no place in politics in any way, shape or form for this kind of violence, for these types of action,” Whatley said. “It’s a horrific act, and we certainly don’t know all of the details and we’re going to have time for investigations on it. But right now, I think everybody in America needs to stop. They need to pause. They need to reflect on what is actually important for us in this political process going forward.” “And, you know, fortunately, we are here in Milwaukee and the show is going to take place,” he added. “I think it’s tremendously important for us as a country that the Republican Party is going to move forward. We are going to be strong. We are going to be resilient and certainly, President Trump is going to be strong and resilient.” On security at the convention, which had taken more than 18 months to plan, Whatley said the “arena’s set, the security is here, and we feel very comfortable that we’re working with the Secret Service.” He said the RNC is working with 40 different law enforcement agencies on security for the convention. “This is going to be a facility where we’re going to be able to have 50,000 delegates and alternates and guests and members of the media who are going to be here and who are going to be safe. That’s very critical for us,” he said. “Look, our business is critically important for the process, right? We’re going to be nominating President Trump for the president, and we’re going to be nominating a vice president. They’re going to give their speeches to accept those nominations, and then we’re going to move back into the field. We’re going to roll up our sleeves, and we’re going to go to work.”
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro delivers update on Trump assassination attempt, honors victim slain in attack
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered an update on the investigation into the assassination attempt against former President Trump on Sunday. Shapiro says state police are working together with federal investigators to learn more information about the shooter. The governor also honored Corey Comperatore, a victim who was shot and killed during the attack while shielding his wife and daughters. “We lost a fellow Pennsylvanian last night, Corey. I just spoke to his wife and Corey’s two daughters. Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community, and most especially, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said. “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be there last night with him and the community. I asked Corey’s wife if it would be OK for me to share that we spoke. She said yes. She also asked that I share with all of you that Corey died a hero, that Corey dove on his family to protect them,” he added. WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN The victim’s sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, also noted in a Facebook post that Corey “was a hero that shielded his daughters.” TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SHINES LIGHT ON RALLY SECURITY “His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable. My baby brother just turned 50 and had so much life left to experience. Hatred has no limits and love has no bounds. Pray for my sister-in-law, nieces, my mother, sister, me and his nieces and nephews as this feels like a terrible nightmare but we know it is our painful reality,” Schafer wrote. Shapiro went on to confirm that he spoke with President Biden regarding the investigation on Saturday night. He said the state police have been granted all the resources they need to assist in the FBI’s ongoing investigation. ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY LEAVES 2 HURT, 2 DEAD, INCLUDING SHOOTER The FBI identified the suspected shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, saying he fired on the former president from a rooftop roughly 130 yards away from the stage. Shapiro condemned the attack once again and said he was praying for the full recovery of the two other victims of the shooting who remain in critical condition. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He also said he has yet to speak with Trump, but he wished the former president well and said he is praying for his recovery. Fox News Digital’s Scott McDonald contributed to this update.
Fetterman sets politics aside after Trump assassination attempt, says US must ‘turn down … the temperature’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., says the U.S. has to “turn down … the temperature” following President Trump’s attempted assassination at a rally on Saturday. The senator referred to the shooting as a “dark day” and “tragedy” during an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning. Fetterman said it might be necessary for Congress to investigate what, if anything, went wrong from a security standpoint during the Trump rally on Saturday. “We can’t assume that these kind of things can’t happen again,” Fetterman said. “We just have to turn down … the temperature on this. And this election is going to be the biggest kind of election in our lifetime, and we have months ahead of us.” He added: I’m not gonna make it about politics.” FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDS SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS The Democratic Senator said he was in the region near the outdoor rally venue in Butler, Pennsylvania, when it happened Saturday evening, to attend a vigil for a transgender teenager who had been murdered. Americans fear rising political violence, recent Reuters/Ipsos polling shows, with two out of three respondents to a May survey saying they worried that violence could follow the election. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION SECURITY TIGHTENS FOLLOWING TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Fetterman said he is grateful that Trump is making a full recovery, is thinking about the rally attendee killed and hopes the two people who were critically injured will be okay. “My drive back home last night from northwestern Pennsylvania … I was just incredibly sad,” he said. “I just can’t believe that this is the place where our nation is.” Reuters contributed to this report.
Emotional Graham delivers message of ‘love’ for Trump, says US needs ‘soul-searching’
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was visibly emotional Sunday when asked what message he wanted to send to former President Trump following an apparent assassination attempt. Graham, who is not just an ally to Trump but also a friend, appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and was asked what he would say to Trump once he’s able to speak to the former president, who is recovering from an apparent gunshot wound at his residence in Bedminster, New Jersey. “I’m grateful you weren’t hurt any worse and I love you,” Graham said. Graham also had another message for all Americans: “For the country, we probably need to do some soul-searching as a nation.” LIVE UPDATES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDs SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS Trump had just begun speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening when a gunman on a nearby roof outside the venue fired multiple shots toward the stage. Trump was seen hitting the deck as Secret Service agents rushed the stage to surround the former president. Moments later, a bloodied Trump stood and was escorted off the stage, pumping his fist in the air in what Graham called “an iconic moment in American history.” “Fate stepped in, the hand of God, call it whatever you like,” Graham said when recalling the moment that he watched Trump pump his fist on stage. “This is the toughest guy I think that I’ve ever met. He’s the modern version of Teddy Roosevelt.” WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN HAD EXPLOSIVES IN CAR PARKED NEAR RALLY, BOMB-MAKING MATERIALS AT HOME: REPORTS Graham said that ongoing rhetoric critical of Trump has been “way too hot,” and he was “worried” for a long time that something like this could happen. “If he wins, democracy’s not going to end. He’s not a fascist,” Graham said. “He represents a point of view that millions share. The rhetoric is way too hot.” Graham also remembered the life of a man in the crowd who was killed at the rally. “His life came to end, other people hurt,” the senator said. “Let’s blame the shooter, but let’s all try to do better.”
Trump campaign, RNC emphasize GOP convention to ‘proceed’ following assassination attempt on former president
MILWAUKEE, WI – Former President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee have emphasized that the party’s convention will “proceed” following the assassination attempt on the former president at his rally in Pennsylvania. But Trump’s top two political advisers are telling staff to stay away from campaign offices as the locations are assessed and armed security is enhanced. “President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States,” Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a statement on Saturday night, a couple of hours after the shooting at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The statement was also signed by Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley and co-chair Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law. TIGHT SECURITY IN MILWUAKEE ON THE EVE OF THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION The Republican National Convention, where Trump will be formally nominated as the GOP’s 2024 standard-bearer, is scheduled to kick off on Monday in Milwaukee, the largest city in swing-state Wisconsin. Wiles and LaCivita on Sunday morning reiterated in a statement that “the RNC Convention will continue as planned in Milwaukee, where we will nominate our President to be the brave and fearless nominee of our Party.” CLICK HERE FOR LIVE FOX NEWS UPDATES ON THE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT But they also advised staff – some of whom are already working out of Milwaukee ahead of the convention – to avoid campaign offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Washington, D.C., until those locations undergo security assessments. And they noted that they are ramping up “armed security presence with 24/7 officers on-site.” “Our highest priority is to keep all of you on this staff safe,” Wiles and LaCivita emphasized. Whatley, in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” in the Fiserv Forum, the site of the convention in Milwaukee, emphasized that “the arena is set and the security is here” when asked about security precautions at the convention. “We’re working with the Secret Service. We’re working with 40 different law enforcement agencies, in terms of what that security is going to look like, and this is going to be a facility where we’re going to be able to have 50,000 delegates and alternates and guests and members of the media, who are going to be here and who are going to be safe,” Whatley noted. Intense security measures common at the two major political parties’ national nominating conventions – including massive federal, state and local law enforcement presence, many blocks of street closures in all directions, including K-rail barriers and metal barricades – were already in place before the attempted assassination of Trump. The shooting took place minutes after Trump began speaking at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in the western part of the state, and the visibly bloodied former president was rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents. The Secret Service reported that “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased.” “One spectator was killed, two spectators were critically injured,” the Secret Service added in their statement. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
3 terrorists killed in encounter in J&K’s Keran
The army said the anti-infiltration operation was going on till last reports.
Would-be Trump assassin had explosives in car parked near rally, bomb-making materials at home: reports
The man authorities say attempted to assassinate former President Trump had explosives inside his car, found parked near the Pennsylvania rally, and bomb-making materials at his home, according to reports Sunday. Law enforcement discovered the car, which was driven by Thomas Matthew Crooks, parked near the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people briefed on the investigation. The Journal said authorities dispatched bomb technicians after police received multiple reports of suspicious packages near where the shooter was located. The sources added that investigators remained at the scene well into the night to make sure it was clear and also conducted a search of Crooks’ home and spoke with his family. WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN The FBI early Sunday identified Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, “as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania.” The bureau said the investigation remains active and ongoing and encourages anyone with information to submit photos or videos online at fbi.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. TRUMP SHOOTING WITNESS SAYS HE WARNED AUTHORITIES OF GUNMAN CRAWLING ONTO ROOF BEFORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Crooks reportedly shot at Trump from a rooftop perch some 130 yards away during a rally in the small town, striking the upper part of Trump’s right ear while the former president was speaking to rallygoers. It happened ahead of the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to kick off on Monday in Milwaukee. An FBI official said investigators had not yet determined a motive. Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks. The gunman attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue at a farm show in Butler, the agency said. One attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically wounded, authorities said. All were identified as men, but their names have not yet been released. Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks’ vehicle and bomb-making materials were also found at his home. The two officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Investigators believe the firearm Crooks used had been purchased by Crooks’ father at least six months ago, two law enforcement officials told the AP. Federal agents were still working to understand when and how his son obtained the gun, and to gather additional information about Crooks, according to the officials. Fox News’ Scott McDonald and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Palestinians observe strike in West Bank against killings by Israel in Gaza
Palestinians call a general strike in solidarity with people in Gaza in the wake of Israeli attack on safe zone that killed at least 90 people. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are observing a general strike in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza, denouncing Saturday’s attack on a designated safe zone of al-Mawasi that killed at least 90 people and injured some 300 others. Most cities in the West Bank joined the general strike on Sunday against Israel’s air attack on the refugee camp west of Khan Younis. Palestinians also protested on Saturday night in the cities of Jenin, Hebron and Tubas to condemn the devastating war. Local Palestinian social media accounts shared videos on Sunday morning showing shops closing in Jenin, the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, and Tulkarem in response to calls for the strike. #شاهد | إضراب في مدينة جنين تنديدا بمجزرتي الاحتلال في خانيونس ومخيم الشاطئ. pic.twitter.com/lOp3VgaPxw — المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) July 14, 2024 Translation: A strike in the city of Jenin to denounce the occupation massacres in Khan Younis and the Shati camp. Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said Palestinians feel that this is “the bare minimum” they can do “to express solidarity, to feel that they are doing something to stand by their fellow Palestinians in Gaza as they feel helpless”, while at the same time “confronting” Israeli raids imposed on several cities in occupied West Bank since October 7. “That reality of occupation and relentless war happening in Gaza, [as well as] raids and home demolitions and confiscation of land happening here in the West Bank is coming full-circle in this expression of solidarity,” said Odeh, adding that apart from the sentiment, the strikes are unlikely to have any effect. Anger against ‘fractured politics’ In addition to voicing their anger over the war on Gaza, Palestinians are also expressing frustration with their fractured politics, said Odeh. “In Ramallah, for example, the Palestine factions were unable to agree to join the general strike, while the same factions in other cities agreed on that bare minimum.” Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported on Sunday that at least 38,584 Palestinians have been killed and 88,881 have been injured in Israel’s war on the enclave. Meanwhile, violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, which had been escalating even before Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, has intensified dramatically in the past months. An increase in Israeli military raids on Palestinian groups, expansion of settlements and violent attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages have drawn response from Palestinian armed groups in the occupied territory. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported on Sunday that Israeli soldiers arrested 30 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank over the past two days. Israel has arrested nearly 10,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in near-daily raids. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump’s control over party in focus as Republicans meet, post shooting
The words read like one of his social media posts. Sentences abruptly shifted into uppercase letters. Warnings of chaos and instability, and false claims about immigration, leapt from the page. And sprinkled throughout was his trademark catchphrase, “Make America Great Again”. But this was no social media screed from former United States President Donald Trump. Instead, it was the new draft platform for the Republican Party, released in advance of its national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The RNC has said the convention will proceed as scheduled and Trump has confirmed that he will attend the event as planned, despite Saturday’s assassination attempt. In the aftermath of the shooting, the Republican Party has rallied around Trump, pushing the image of the former president with his fist raised, blood streaking down his cheek. Even traditional detractors in the party, such as former President George W Bush, have condemned the assassination attempt. The apparent takeover of the party by Trump is likely to be visible throughout the convention this week. For the Republican Party has indeed become the party of Trump, say experts. Recent changes within the party and its leadership offer a glimpse at Trump’s plans for the White House, should he succeed in being re-elected this November. Kathleen Dolan, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, noted that Trump and his supporters already have a clear plan for his second term. Part of their agenda involves consolidating power, much as Trump has done within the Republican Party. “What we’d be moving into is a world in which the balance of power between the branches [of government] could be shifting,” Dolan said. In March, Lara Trump became the co-chair of the Republican National Committee, with the encouragement of her father-in-law Donald Trump [Chris Seward/AP Photo] Committee changes The convention will affirm Trump’s leadership over the party. During the four-day event, Trump will receive his party’s nomination for the presidency, with speakers taking the stage to support his candidacy. But in the lead-up to the convention, experts have said there have been signals of how Trump’s dominance over the party might translate to the White House. Trump has a history of appointing family members to high-profile roles, and that continued this year when Ronna McDaniel stepped down as the chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), the party’s governing body. The leadership shake-up left vacancies, and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump ultimately took a role as co-chair, with the ex-president’s endorsement. Within days, she pledged to ensure “every penny” of the committee’s funds goes to “making sure Donald Trump will be the 47th president”. The Republican National Committee and Trump’s campaign for re-election have since merged their operations, raising questions about the resources available to other candidates. The committee also cut staff, aiming to leave only Trump loyalists in place. Experts said these actions reflect Trump’s plans for the executive branch, should he retake the White House. A new draft party platform will be presented at the Republican National Convention on July 15 [Brian Snyder/Reuters] A new platform The Trump campaign’s influence over the new party platform also indicates how the Republican National Committee and campaign have fused. “It closes the circle on the platform of the Republican Party being the personification of whatever Donald Trump believes and wants that platform to be,” Dolan told Al Jazeera. The platform had not been updated since 2016, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as the convention neared, members of the party’s platform committee gathered to create a draft that could be presented at the gathering. Trump’s campaign, however, pushed to present a “streamlined” platform that would minimise opportunities for Democrats to attack the Republican candidate. The party also refused to televise the platform committee’s meetings, in a break with past election cycles. There was no opportunity for compromise on the platform, Dolan noted. “It was a very closed process and presented with a document that was approved. That’s different from how platforms usually happen,” she explained. “Again, that shows us that it is all very tightly and completely controlled by a small group of people and in service to what former President Trump wants the platform to say.” For example, the Republican Party platform has long supported a national ban on abortion. But in the latest edition, the platform committee dropped abortion almost entirely, except for a single line opposing late-term abortion. Trump said during the recent debate that the matter should be left to individual states. Dolan argued that changing the platform’s language was merely a strategic move for November. She pointed out that one of Trump’s main talking points is taking credit for appointing the justices who overturned Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that previously upheld a federal right to abortion. “I don’t think he’s pushing the party to be more moderate,” Dolan said. “They understand that they are vulnerable among voters if they are seen as too extreme.” “But that does not in any way signal a shift in their thinking,” she added. “This is just politics, and they’re trying to hide their real positions.” The Heritage Foundation has designed the proposal package Project 2025 as a possible plan for Trump’s second term [Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo] Consolidating power The way Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican National Committee has aligned with some of the goals of a proposal called Project 2025. Written by some of Trump’s closest allies, Project 2025 is a nearly 900-page policy document that outlines a plan for the presidency if Trump is re-elected. Trump has denied knowledge of the project, which was helmed by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Still, analysts have noted overlaps between its proposals and Trump’s own stated goals. For instance, Project 2025 suggests reducing career staffers and replacing them with hand-picked political appointees. Trump has hinted at rallies that he would take similar steps if re-elected. And the Republican National Committee, under Lara Trump’s leadership, fired about 60 staffers, aiming to empower