As the November presidential election approaches, former Project 2025 head Paul Dans has publicly urged Donald Trump to replace his current campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. Dans, who led the controversial Project 2025 before resigning in July, argues that the current campaign team’s missteps could jeopardize Trump’s chances against Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.
Dans Criticizes Trump’s Campaign Management
Paul Dans, who stepped down as Project 2025’s director amid growing criticism, has shifted focus to Trump’s campaign managers. Dans has accused Wiles and LaCivita of overconfidence and poor preparation. He argued that their approach failed to account for the significant shift in the race following Kamala Harris’s emergence as the Democratic nominee, which, according to polls, altered the previously favorable outlook for Trump.
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“Trump should be running like Secretariat at the Belmont, but instead it’s a race to the wire,” Dans told the New York Times, emphasizing his belief that the campaign’s current trajectory is far from optimal.
Allegations of Campaign Malpractice
Dans has gone further to label the campaign management as engaging in “malpractice,” blaming them for a public about-face in which Trump disavowed Project 2025. This disowning came despite Trump’s prior connections with the project and its architects, many of whom were former Trump administration officials. Dans’ comments have fueled a broader rightwing critique of Trump’s campaign staff.
Background on Project 2025
Project 2025, a 922-page document produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation under Dans’ leadership, proposes sweeping changes to U.S. government policy. These include replacing career civil servants with Trump loyalists, eliminating the Department of Education, and enacting strict limits on abortion and contraception. The plan has been described as a radical manifesto for a potential second Trump presidency.
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, has described the project as initiating a “second revolution” that would be “bloodless if the left allows it to be.”
Trump’s Response and Campaign Dynamics
In response to growing criticism and Dans’ accusations, Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025. He has claimed to disown the plan and its architects, labeling their proposals as “ridiculous and abysmal.” Despite this, Dans’ criticism of the campaign management has persisted.
Trump’s campaign managers, Wiles and LaCivita, have strongly denounced Project 2025 and warned against associating it with the campaign. “Trump’s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign,” they stated, emphasizing that any connection to the project was misleading.
Recent Developments and Campaign Strategy
In the wake of Dans’ comments, Trump has praised the recent additions to his campaign team, including the return of Corey Lewandowski and the endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently suspended his independent campaign to support Trump. On Tuesday, Trump expressed satisfaction with his current campaign managers, saying, “Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita are doing a great job. I could not be more happy with them.”
