DETROIT — The false claim that Donald Trump supports Project 2025 is common among Michigan Democrats. Even the state's attorney general lied repeatedly on the campaign trail, hoping to convince voters that the former president supported highly unpopular policies developed by conservative think tanks.
But last month, this false argument got even louder when Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) co-chaired a hearing on “The Dangers of Project 2025.”
The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing was attended only by Democrats, who repeatedly asserted that President Trump embraces Project 2025 and intends to implement it if elected.
The scene was not a meeting of the House Administration Committee, which could refer the bill to the full chamber. It was just a showcase for one party, paid for by the people.
Despite Democratic Party claims in public hearings and on the campaign trail across the country, President Trump has repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025, including during the September 10 debate.
“I have nothing to do with Project 2025.” President Trump said that night that Kamala Harris declared “we're going to do it.” He calls some of it “absolutely ridiculous and awful.”
The Project 2025 website is prominently linked to. USA Today Fact Check It confirmed it was the work of the Heritage Foundation, not the Trump campaign.
Nevertheless, the claim persists.
During the hearing, Democrats heard from Michigan auto worker and UAW member JJ Jewell, who expressed concern that overtime pay would be taken away as a result of Project 2025.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) cited the project's “not-so-secret plan to cut wages,” calling it “a generous gift to corporations and an insult to workers.” is.
“If they can calculate overtime over a longer number of weeks, they're basically destroying the standard work week and my ability to earn overtime,” Jewell said. “It's not just the loss of income that worries me; what we're really counting on is the fact that people may be working 60 or 70 hours a week without additional compensation. is.”
Jewell is referring to the Working Families Flexibility Act. This would not eliminate overtime pay, but rather give workers the option to receive their time in cash or in cash. paid holiday.
Next, Detroit teacher Rodney Flesch Jr. argued that Project 2025 would dismantle public education.
“At its heart, Project 2025 is a well-funded attempt to privatize public education and kick the ladder of opportunity out from under those who need it most,” Flesch said during the panel discussion.
This is related to the project's proposal to make D.C.'s school voucher program universal, which would allow taxpayer education funds to send students to private and religious schools.
In Michigan, the plan would face constitutional obstacles. In 2000, the vote was 69% to 31%; Michigan residents banned from school vouchers. This has never been abolished.
Multiple times during the hearing, House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Project 2025 a “dangerous, despicable and diabolical plan.”
Mr. Kildee, co-chair of the aforementioned All-Democratic Committee, also joined.
“Trump and the architects of this plan are not ashamed of it. They posted it online for all of us to see, there were over 900 pages,” he said. “Under Donald Trump and the House Republicans, there will be less money. There will be less freedom. Trump's Project 2025 will set America and all Americans back.”
There was just one problem. The entire hearing, and every word spoken there, was based on the falsehood that Trump supported Project 2025 and would enact a platform if elected.
CNN, PolitoFact, and others fact-checked specific claims regarding Project 2025.
But the basic lie lives on, and last month it was further perpetuated by Democrats, and the American people paid for it.
The left-leaning New Republic reported on the hearing with the following headline: “House Democrats are committed to tying Project 2025 to Trump.”
As the article explains, Democrats went out of their way to give the hearings the weight of legitimacy and flourishes of highly staged political theater.
“This hearing was very similar to the hearing held by the House Select Committee to Investigate the Capitol Attack on January 6, 2021, and featured well-produced videos and other multimedia elements. This wasn't just an homage. washington post beginning reportedOne of the filmmakers involved in the Jan. 6 committee also worked on a video of Tuesday's presentation that highlighted connections to Trump, other Republicans and the Project 2025 platform. ”
Kildee's seat will be contested in November this year as Paul retires at the end of the year. The race for Kildee's vacant 8th District seat is drawing national attention as Democratic state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivett seeks to replace Kildee. Republican challenger Paul Junge is hoping for third time's charm in this run for Congress.
Two of Cook Political Report's 26 polling races are in Michigan. The other is the 7th District, a race between Republican Tom Barrett and Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr.
