Author Name: Sriya Tallapragada
New Providence, NJ
The RNC, dubbed the “white people’s choice awards” by comedian Anthony Anderson, has been filled with plenty of pageantry. Complete with a West Virginia governor giving a speech alongside his dog, “fake ear patches” in solidarity with Donald Trump, and more MAGA pins than one can count, it’s safe to say that the event was filled with an unrivaled sense of dramatics. However, nothing tops the moment when J.D Vance accepted the nomination to be Trump’s VP pick. Even as I watched from the tiny screen of my tablet, the resounding sound of applause as JD Vance got on stage was thunderous. His speech no-doubt cemented him as a leader among MAGA republicans; with his midwest-heavy pitch, singing praises to Trump, and heavily denouncing Biden policy, Vance seems like the perfect representative for hard-right supporters of Trump’s party.
Vance’s selection as VP shows Trump's strategy of consolidating his supporters rather than reaching out to new voters. His extreme political views appeal to Trump's core base, and Vance is now positioned as a successor capable of expanding the MAGA agenda. This suggests a future where the Republican Party becomes ruled by authoritarian MAGA tactics, instead of the traditional democratic values of a pre-Trump Republican party.
Since the 2022 senate race, Vance (endorsed by Trump) embraced the MAGA agenda, advocating for extreme measures such as overturning election results and purging the government of perceived adversaries. He justified these actions as necessary to what he viewed as widespread government corruption. Over the past few years, Vance has been very vocal about his conservative ideas. He has mentioned drawing inspiration from unconventional sources like Silicon Valley monarchist Curtis Yarvin and billionaires Peter Thiel, who question the compatibility of democracy with freedom. Now, as Trump’s running mate and a leader of the MAGA party, Vance’s leadership is put under a spotlight.
If you’ve been following politics at all recently, you’ve probably heard about Project 2025. Project 2025 is a comprehensive piece of conservative policy by the Heritage Foundation outlining an agenda for a potential second term for Donald Trump. The project includes reforms that restructure the federal government to align with right-wing principles. These include: restrictions on abortion access, stricter immigration policies, expanded oil and gas production, and much more. The project calls for radical changes across different areas of government, but ultimately would cement a conservative vision for America. Vance’s track record of authoritarian beliefs, at worst, would put him in a position to champion project 2025.
Vance spoke with Newsmax's Rob Schmitt on July 10 about Project 2025, where called it a “fear tactic” the Democratic party was using against the Republicans. When speaking about Project 2025, he said there were some “good ideas” in there, along with some things he “disagreed with”. However, there is no denying the connections Vance has tight connections with the authors/organization behind Project 2025; Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, said to the Associated Press that he is "good friends" with Vance and that the Heritage Foundation had been privately rooting for Trump to choose Vance as his running mate. Furthermore, many of Vance’s policies align with those stated in Project 2025. Vance has opposed abortion rights (with no exception), aligning with Project 2025's aims to limit access to abortion care across the United States. Vance's support for the oil and gas industry and skepticism about climate policies like the Green New Deal are similar to Project 2025's call for expanded oil and gas production. Vance advocates for mass deportations, which is similar to Project 2025’s support for stringent immigration restrictions, proposing the reintroduction of policies like Title 42 (enacted under the Trump administration, which allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants quickly back to Mexico or to their country of origin). Although we don’t know to what extent Vance wants to enact Project 2025, there is no doubt that its influence will be prominent in the decisions he makes under the Trump administration.
As a first-time voter, Project 2025 is a scary prospect. Trump has previously rejected the plan, claiming on social media site that he “knows nothing” about Project 2025; however, many of the past top former officials from his administration were involved in writing the plan, and it is possible that Trump has given statements distancing himself from the plan in order to maintain political popularity. JD Vance’s readiness to challenge democratic norms suggest that he would not hesitate to use the project as a blueprint for governance. In the spirit of being informed at the polls, I urge all voters to bear Vance’s policies, and his potential role in enacting project 2025, in mind before filling out a ballot.