President-elect Donald Trump’s victory Tuesday night prompted discussions across the internet over what a second Trump administration agenda might look like.
Some social media users have falsely claimed that since Election Day, Trump has said he lied about previously distancing himself from Project 2025—a policy blueprint published by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank—and intends to enact its proposals. However, Trump has not publicly commented on Project 2025 since before Election Day.
Rachel Bitecofer, a progressive political strategist, tweeted on Wednesday, “Trump announces he lied about Project 2025 within hours of being declared the winner.” She added: “Marinate in it Trumpers.”
When one social media user questioned whether there was a recording of Trump endorsing Project 2025, Bitecofer replied, “Yes there is,” but she did not provide any evidence to that effect.
The Dispatch Fact Check has reached out to Rachel Bitecofer asking for evidence to support her claim.
Trump made no mention of Project 2025 in his public address on Tuesday night, nor has he posted on X or Truth Social since the last polls closed that day. During his presidential campaign, Trump on several occasions distanced himself from the proposals. “I know nothing about Project 2025,” he posted to Truth Social and Facebook on July 5. “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. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”
“I don’t know what the h— it is,” Trump said of Project 2025 that same month at a campaign rally, before calling some of its policy proposals “seriously extreme.”
Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, the top two GOP strategists on the Trump 2024 campaign, were also forceful in their disavowal of Project 2025. “President Trump‘s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign, did not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the President in any way,” LaCivita and Wiles wrote in a joint statement on July 30. “Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign— it will not end well for you. The Washington Post also reported on July 30 that LaCivita had said that those involved with Project 2025 “would be barred from a second Trump administration.”
The Dispatch Fact Check has reached out to Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung for comment.
A screenshot image of Bitecofer’s tweet was later shared to Reddit with the caption, “Trump is already bragging about Project 2025.”
“Pop Flop,” an X account that focuses on pop culture and has more than 44,000 followers, also repeated the claim. “Donald Trump and Republicans confirms Project 2025 has been their plan all along, Rolling Stone reveals,” the account tweeted on Wednesday.
But a Rolling Stone article that “Pop Flop” referenced makes no mention of Trump commenting or changing his position on Project 2025. Rather, it features comments made by several Trump supporters about Project 2025 since Election Day.
The article featured comments from Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and a Texas county GOP chairman all endorsing Project 2025 in the aftermath of Trump’s victory. However, none had any official association with Trump’s 2024 campaign.
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