Of the nearly 200 op-eds written as a free-lance columnist contributor to 181 news agencies in 39 states (circa 2013-present), none has received wider readership than the one published June 4 in The Fulcrum titled `Project 2025 is a threat to democracy.’ The Fulcrum reports democracy-related news and holds a Media Bias Fact Check rating of high credibility and high factual reporting.
After the record breaking op-ed (74,500 views), The Fulcrum published a cross-partisan analysis of Project 2025 that relies on unbiased critical thinking, reexamines outdated assumptions, and uses reason, scientific evidence and data in analyzing and critiquing Project 2025.
Here’s the link to read all 28 of the Project 2025 cross-partisan op-eds, which are void of pre-determined left- or right-wing solutions that explores the nuances and complexities of Project 2025: https://thefulcrum.us/tag/project-2025.
If you’re not familiar with Project 2025, it is a playbook specifically created for Donald Trump to use in the first 180 days of his second presidential administration. The far-right wing extremist group Heritage Foundation spent $22 million to create the 887-page policy book; written by 34 authors, 277 contributors, 54-member advisory board and a coalition of 110 conservative organizations (e.g., American Legislative Exchange Council, Heartland Institute, Liberty University, Middle East Forum, Moms for Liberty, NRA, Pro-Life America, Tea Party Patriots, etc.). Project 2025 is available to read online; formally called Mandate for Leadership 2025: The Conservative Promise.
It’s important to know Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation’s president, has close affiliations with Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and referred to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Hungarian dictatorship as “the model” of conservative politics (Newsweek, July 5).
The 30 chapters of Project 2025 are a daunting read, described by Politico as an authoritarian Christian nationalist movement with the purposeful intention of moving America from a democracy to an autocracy-fascist oriented country (Feb. 20).
Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, though at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration were involved in writing Project 2025 (CNN, July 11). Vance wrote the foreward to Kevin Robert’s upcoming book, though – interestingly – due to mounting controversy over Project 2025, purchasing the book has been delayed until after the Nov. 5 election.
Additionally, 23 videos with 14 hours of content have been prepared to coach future Trump administration appointees on how to implement Project 2025’s 30 chapters’ worth of changing America’s form of government to a dictatorship and undermine the rule of law, separation of powers, civil liberties and separation of church and state. Twenty-nine of the 36 training video speakers have worked for Trump or Vance (ProPublica, Aug. 10).
At 9:39 a.m. on July 5, Trump posted on his Truth Social website: “I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying ... .” Will Bunch, national columnist, wrote in a Las Vegas Sun op-ed: “I wish Trump luck in getting a single person, on either side of the political divide, to believe that he knows nothing about Project 2025, yet somehow knows that he disagrees with most of it. Indeed, this is Trump’s 2024 version of the big lie ...” (July 10).
So let’s see. Fallen US soldiers are “suckers” and “losers,” stolen 2020 election, “very special” Jan. 6 rioters, didn’t know E. Jean Carroll, didn’t have sex with a porn star, US confidential classified documents are personal, America is a third-world country and now “I know nothing about Project 2025.”
There’s a preponderance of evidence – a standard of proof used in most civil trials -- that links Trump and Vance to Project 2025.
A July 8-11 YouGov poll found 59 percent of American adults are aware of Project 2025; comprised by 71 percent of Democrats, 55 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of independents.
A YouGov survey found 67.8 percent of the proposed Project 2025 policies are opposed by Americans (Newsweek, July 9). Might this suggest about one of every three adults – possibly MAGA Republicans – favor presidential dictatorship, Christian nationalism and the power of white male supremacy?
Project 2025 is an issue every registered voter ought to become very knowledgeable about. If Trump is elected, there is an exceedingly high probability he will act upon the multi-pronged recommendations contained within the 30 chapters during the Jan. 20-July 18, 2025 time period, changing America from a democracy to an authoritarian-fascist country, just like China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Hungary.
This is not an election to sit out. Your vote on Nov. 5 will identify the future lifestyle of your children, grandchildren and heirs down-the-road . . . should they decide to reside within the United States of America.
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Op-ed reference sources:
Steve Corbin, Project 2025 is a threat to democracy, The Fulcrum, June 4, 2024
Emily Brooks, Republicans downplay Project 2025 as Democrats see winning message, The Hill, July 13, 2024
Adriana Gomez Licon, Biden assails Project 2025, a plan to transform government, and Trump’s claim to be unaware of it, Associated Press, July 6, 2024
Nicholas Riccardi, Outside RNC, conservative group defends its Project 2025 guidebook as Democrats ramp up critiques, Associated Press, July 17, 2024
Melissa Quinn and Jacob Rosen, What is Project 2025? What to know about the conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration, CBS News, July 31, 2024
Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Audrey Ash and Kyung Lay, Hidden-camera video shows Project 2025 co-author discussing his secret work preparing for a second Trump term, CNN Politics, Aug. 15, 2024
Flynn Nicholls, Project 2025 leader working to implement policies of Putin ally: Professor, Newsweek, July 5, 2024
Flynn Nicholls, Ex-Trump administration officials involved in Project 2025: Full list, Newsweek, July 10, 2024
Joe Edwards, Project 2025: How popular are the policies,? Newsweek, July 9, 2024
Steve Contorno, Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved. CNN, July 11, 2024
Safia Samee Ali, What are Project 2025’s ties to the Trump campaign,? NewsNation, July 30, 2024
Will Bunch, Trump’s new big lie that he doesn’t know about Project 2025 mile take him down, Las Vegas Sun, July 10, 2024
Andy Kroll and Nick Surgery, Inside Project 2025’s secret training videos, ProPublica, Aug. 10, 2024
Jeffrey Goldberg, Trump: Americans who died in war are “losers” and “suckers,” The Atlantic, Sept. 3, 2020
Sara Dorn, Trump compares U.S. to `Third-World Country’ in super Tuesday victory speech—without mentioning Haley, Forbes, March 6, 2024
Erin Doherty, Trump says he didn’t have sex with porn star, Axios, June 27, 2024
Brian Bennett, Trump says he `never met’ author who has accused him of sexual assault, Time, June 21, 2019
Sean O’Driscoll, Donald Trump declared hundreds of classified docs `personal’ as he took them, Newsweek, March 18, 2024
Robert Yoon, Trump’s drumbeat of lies about the 2020 election keeps getting louder. Here are the facts, Associated Press, August 27, 2022
Lisa Mascaro, Conservative groups draw up plan to dismantle the US government and replace it with Trump’s vision, Associated Press, Aug. 29, 2023
Peter Stone, Openly authoritarian campaign: Trump’s threats of revenge fuel alarm, The Guardian, Nov. 22, 2023
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Permanent Counterrevolution, The New Republic, May 16, 2024
Shannon Larson, What to know about Project 2025, the far-right agenda for a second Trump administration, Boston Globe, June 13, 2024
Andrew Restuccia, Trump taps sons, executives to run transition team, The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 17-18, 2024
Gabriela Parra, Americans increasingly say Project 2025 describes what Trump stands for, Navigator, Aug. 19, 2024
Contact information: Steven.B.Corbin@gmail.com; 319-290-9779; Apr. 1-Oct. 31: 4116 Maryhill Drive, Cedar Falls, IA 50613-5781 and Nov. 1-March 31: 55055 Shoal Creek, La Quinta, CA 92253-4728
Disclosures:
Steve is a non-paid freelance opinion editor and guest columnist contributor (circa 2013-present) to 181 news agencies in 39 states who receives no remuneration, funding or endorsement from any for-profit business, not-for-profit organization, political action committee or political party
Steve is Professor Emeritus of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (1975-2013); Marketing Department Head (17 years); State of Iowa Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service (2003)
Steve graduated from Nevada H.S. (Nevada, IA) in 1966; University of Northern Iowa (1970 bachelor’s degree); Colorado State University (1972 master’s degree); Virginia Tech (1975 doctoral degree)
Steve was elected to public office three times and served on the Denver Community School District Board of Education (Denver, IA) for 11 years, serves on the Advisory Board of Discerning Wealth Ameriprise Financial Services (Cedar Falls, IA) and is a member of the Cedar Falls Lions Club, Lions Clubs of Iowa and Lions Clubs International
Steve is married to Doris J. Kelley (Iowa House of Representatives, 2007-2011; Chair/Vice-Chair - Iowa Board of Parole, 2011-2014; Chair, Iowa’s 19th Amendment Centennial Commemoration, 2017-2021)
Steve has three sons, three daughters-in-laws and three grandchildren
“My attempt at writing op-eds since 2013 has been to try my best at shifting from today’s journalism style of “my truth” to old-school journalism focused on “research-based truth” and as close to scholarly research as possible to restore journalism credibility and provide a value-added op-ed to the reader.” - SBC
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