Arizona Democrats condemn Trump, Project 2025, and the far-right, ahead of presidential debate

Ahead of a presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Arizona democratic leaders released a dire warning of the harmful repercussions that could come from Project 2025 and Trump’s agenda.

At a press conference in Phoenix Monday, Arizona state Sens. Eva Burch and Mitzi Epstein, and Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo blasted Project 2025 and reiterated their support behind Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

“We have to stop Donald Trump, JD Vance and their extremist Project 2025 agenda. We have to elect Vice President Kamala Harris, we refuse to go back,” Burch said.

What a Project 2025 presidency would look like

Project 2025 is a federal policy agenda that will drastically restructure the executive branch, written and published by former Trump administration officials in partnership with The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

While Trump claims to not know anything about Project 2025, at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration were involved with it, a CNN review found.

“The foundations and the organizations that have put this [project 2025] forward are Trump’s people,” Epstein said. “Any sensible person has to see Project 2025 and Trump go hand in hand.”

Epstein characterized those involved with Project 2025 as Trump’s “henchmen” who would join his next administration and carry out his bidding without question. Trump had the highest staff turnover rate of any president in recent history and gained a reputation for dumping anyone who contradicted or challenged his demands.

The trio warned that the implementation of Project 2025 would result in extreme government control over Arizonans’ daily lives: among detailed plans in the document are a federal abortion ban, and eliminating the Department of Education.

It also aims to overhaul the Department of Justice, giving Trump unchecked power to retaliate against people who disagree with him—challenging the DOJ’s long-standing independence.

Project 2025 would also raise taxes on a typical middle-class family by almost $4,000 a year, while also cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits, and removing protections on capping prescription drug costs.

But the perfect example of how wrong-sided Project 2025 is, Epstein said, is its decimation of the school lunch program.

“[Successful people] have talked about how they were raised by a single parent, and the school lunch program was there for them,” Epstein said. “That was the ladder they needed to get to where they were going in life.”

While Trump constantly dismisses any ties to Project 2025, his running mate, JD Vance has said it contains some “good ideas” and would support the extreme agenda.

An ideological chasm

Two different versions of America’s future will be on display on the debate stage, Gallardo said.

“Kamala Harris’ vision for a new way forward will protect our freedom, strengthen our democracy, uphold the rule of law and cut costs for families and ensure that everyone cannot just get by but get ahead,” Gallardo said. “Donald Trump is running to make himself the most powerful president ever and to give him virtually unchecked power and control of Arizona’s daily lives.”

Previously, Trump has threatened to terminate parts of the Constitution and imprison his political enemies; Project 2025 provides a roadmap to accomplish both goals.

The group pointed to Trump’s desire to gain personal power and control as one of the most dangerous aspects of a potential second term, comparing him to a dictator multiple times.

“We can’t allow him to destroy our democracy or take away our fundamental freedoms,” Gallardo said.” Only one person can stop Donald Trump for good, and that is Vice President Kamala Harris.”

The plan could trigger a nationwide recession by as early as next year, Epstein claimed, closing down businesses and killing three million jobs.

“We have one candidate who is only in the race because he wants to take control of our lives and get nearly unlimited power,” Epstein said. “It is up to us to choose a new way forward, to elect leaders who believe in a government that is run by the people and not by corporations.”

Abortion access remains in Trump’s crosshairs

Last week, Trump endorsed Florida’s extreme abortion ban, and he would not hesitate to make this a reality not just in Florida, but across the whole country, giving him unrestricted control over women, Burch said.

One person was to blame when millions of women lost the right to control their bodies and futures once Roe v. Wade was overturned, Burch added, and Trump handpicked the Supreme Court justice who cast the deciding votes.

In March, Burch spoke on the Senate floor about her planned abortion for an unviable pregnancy ahead of the overturning of the state’s reenacted 160-year-old abortion ban.

Project 2025 mandates an abortion ban in all 50 states, and details how that could be accomplished or without the help of Congress. It also breaks down how Trump could unilaterally restrict access to contraception and force states to monitor and report on women who have miscarriages and abortions.

“His [Trump’s] Project 2025 agenda gives him nearly unrestricted power and control over women and over all Arizonans and our personal lives,” Burch said.