"What Plans from Project 2025 and the Trump Administration Threaten the American Deep State?"
Project 2025, outlined in the "Mandate for Leadership" document by the Heritage Foundation, is a crucial guide for the next Republican administration. Crafted by conservative intellectuals from major American think tanks, this plan promises to have significant influence on a potential Donald Trump administration, even if he does not formally acknowledge it as his government plan.
This document presents proposals to depoliticize government agencies, increase efficiency, and reduce costs, aiming to dismantle the Deep State and combat the Woke agenda associated with the Democratic Party.
Dissolution of the DHS and Redistribution of Functions
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established in 2002 in response to the September 11 attacks, with the goal of consolidating various agencies responsible for domestic security under a single command. The DHS includes agencies such as FEMA, TSA, ICE, and CISA.
Project 2025's proposal to dissolve the DHS and redistribute its functions to other agencies aims to address excessive bureaucracy and a lack of cohesion, arguing that centralization has failed to effectively integrate its diverse missions.
Impact on the Democratic Deep State:
The dissolution of the DHS would pose a significant threat to the Democratic Deep State, as it would redistribute the power concentrated in a single entity across multiple other agencies, making it more difficult to politicize and centralize control over domestic security operations.
This decentralization would reduce the ability to use the DHS as a political tool against opponents.
Primary Recommendations
Combining Immigration Agencies:
Merge U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) into a new autonomous border and immigration agency.
Privatization of the TSA:
Privatize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), drawing inspiration from Canadian and European models, to reduce costs and improve service for travelers.
Division of the Secret Service (USSS):
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS), responsible for protecting national leaders and investigating financial crimes, would be divided.
The protective element would be transferred to the Department of Justice (DOJ), while the financial investigations element would be moved to the Department of the Treasury.
Impact on the Democratic Deep State:
The division of the USSS would significantly weaken centralized control over protection and financial investigations, making it more difficult to use these functions for political purposes.
Transferring the protective element to the DOJ and the financial investigations element to the Treasury would complicate efforts for any group or party to manipulate these crucial government functions for partisan objectives.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Established in 2018, CISA is a federal agency responsible for protecting the U.S. critical infrastructure from cyber threats.
CISA's mandate includes ensuring cybersecurity for sectors such as energy, transportation, and healthcare, and it collaborates with public and private entities to strengthen the country’s cyber resilience.
Criticisms and Restructuring Proposals:
Project 2025 strongly criticizes CISA for deviating from its original mission and being used as a political tool for censoring speech and influencing elections. The proposal is to transfer CISA to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and return the agency to its statutory focus.
Review of Executive Order 12333
Executive Order 12333, issued in 1981, sets guidelines for U.S. intelligence activities, including the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information.
Project 2025 proposes a review of this order to ensure that intelligence agencies are not used for political purposes but are focused on protecting national security.
Objectives of the Review:
- Prevent Abuse: Ensure that intelligence collection is conducted legally, without being used to target political opponents.
- Ensure Impartiality: Reaffirm that intelligence operations must be conducted impartially, with a sole focus on the country's security.
Reforms in Public Service
Facilitation of Public Employee Dismissal:
Project 2025 emphasizes the need to simplify the process for dismissing public employees who do not perform their duties impartially or who promote specific political agendas.
Performance Evaluations:
The document highlights the importance of merit-based compensation, stating that performance evaluations are only effective when tied to real consequences. Research indicates that 90% of major private companies in the U.S. use a merit-based pay system linked to evaluations. However, in the federal government, compensation remains largely based on seniority, despite efforts to adopt merit-based pay.
Inclusion of Employees Aligned with Conservative Values:
Aligned Hiring: Establish mechanisms to hire public employees who share conservative values, ensuring that the policies and practices of agencies are consistent with the principles endorsed by the administration.
Controversial Cases and Politicization:
Hunter Biden Laptop Case:
Project 2025 harshly criticizes the FBI and the Department of Justice, accusing them of acting in a biased and politically motivated manner. The authors suggest that the agency is intimidating parents who protest by labeling them as "domestic terrorists," while simultaneously suppressing politically unfavorable speech under the guise of combating "disinformation."
Furthermore, the critique highlights that the FBI is alleged to be neglecting violent attacks on pregnancy centers and violations of laws prohibiting attempts to intimidate Supreme Court justices.
The criticism intensifies with allegations that the FBI interfered in domestic elections and engaged in propaganda operations, specifically citing the purported Russian collusion conspiracy in 2016 and the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop case in 2020, which is seen as a threat to the Republic.
Politicization of the FBI:
Election Interference: Russia Hoax and Trump, Suppression of Hunter Biden’s Laptop, and Big Tech Collusion.
Revelations about the FBI’s role in the 2016 "Russia Hoax" and the suppression of Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020 suggest that the agency may have strayed from its impartial duties.
These actions indicate concerning politicization, where the agency appears to have been used to influence the political landscape in favor of certain interests. This includes collaboration between the FBI and Big Tech companies to control discourse.
Comprehensive Review of FBI Investigations:
It is crucial to conduct an immediate and thorough review of all significant investigations and activities within the FBI, terminating those that are illegal or contrary to national interests.
This step is essential for restoring public trust in the FBI. A public report on the findings of this review could enhance transparency and confidence.
Structural Reorganization:
Align the FBI within the Department of Justice (DOJ) according to its purposes of national security and law enforcement.
The agency should be under the supervision of the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division and the National Security Division, ensuring that the FBI does not operate as an independent entity but is instead subordinated to the DOJ’s directives.
Prohibition on Policing Speech:
Prohibit the FBI from engaging in activities related to combating "disinformation" or "misinformation" disseminated by Americans who are not linked to plausible criminal activities.
The Constitution, through the First Amendment, prohibits the government from policing speech, ensuring a healthy public debate without governmental intervention.
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All these measures represent a significant attack on the "Deep State" within American institutions. These public policies have been considered a dictatorial threat by many sectors of the American press.
However, the real issue should be the politicization of unelected bureaucrats by a political faction.
Combating Woke Culture in the Intelligence Community
Future leadership of the Intelligence Community (IC) needs to implement a plan to replace the "woke" culture and identity politics that have spread throughout the federal government.
The goal is to restore traditional American values such as patriotism, racial impartiality, and job competence, which have been replaced by advocacy for "social justice" and identity politics.
Final Considerations
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is not merely an administrative reform plan; it is a manifesto of resistance against the Washington status quo. The proposals aim to dismantle established power structures, eliminate politicization, and combat the Woke agenda. If implemented, this plan would profoundly impact how the U.S. government operates, promoting a more efficient, limited government aligned with conservative principles.
Threat to the Democratic Deep State:
A potential new administration under Donald Trump represents an existential threat to the Democratic Deep State entrenched in American institutions.
The dissolution of the DHS, depoliticization of intelligence agencies, division of the Secret Service, review of Executive Order 12333, privatization of the TSA, and the hiring of employees aligned with conservative values are all measures that would significantly weaken centralized control and the ability to use these institutions for political purposes.
By dismantling concentrated power and promoting a more transparent and accountable government, Project 2025 aims to restore public trust and ensure that government agencies serve national interests rather than partisan ones.
Of course, not all aspects of the plan may be implemented, but the prospect of several of these measures being enacted should be a cause for concern for the Democratic Deep State.
