Project 2025, an initiative by the Heritage Foundation, has faced significant backlash after becoming a prominent topic in the 2024 presidential race. Initially obscure, the project gained notoriety following the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden have since used it in their campaign speeches to criticize Trump’s potential second term.

In a recent Houston speech, Harris denounced Project 2025 as a plan to drag America backward with extreme policies. “So Project 2025 is a plan to return America to a dark past,” she said, claiming it includes cuts to Medicare, Social Security, and an end to student loan forgiveness for public servants.

Project 2025 is a continuation of the Heritage Foundation’s longstanding practice of providing policy suggestions for Republican presidents, dating back to Ronald Reagan. The project covers various topics, including education and preparing personnel for a presidential transition, but critics have focused on its book, “Mandate for Leadership – the Conservative Promise.”

Steven Groves, co-editor of the book, addressed the controversy in an interview with the Washington Examiner. He encouraged people to read the 900-page document available online. “The book is available online. Every word of it can be downloaded for free,” Groves said. He argued that many criticisms from the Left are unfounded.

“Their interest is not in taking on a conservative think tank project,” Groves explained. “Their interest is in lying about that project and then attributing extreme policies to their political opponent, in this case, President Trump.”

Groves pointed out that the book was published in April 2023, before any presidential candidacies were declared. He noted that media coverage was neutral until the project became a focal point post-debate.

“It wasn’t until it was crystal clear to everyone that Biden was going to lose and lose big that the Left, Biden, and Kamala decided to make a target out of the project,” Groves said. “President Trump doesn’t have anything to do with this project.”

Groves refuted a viral graphic shared by actor Mark Hamill, which listed an alleged extreme agenda of Project 2025. According to Project 2025, only five of the 31 listed items were true or partially true.

“It’s easy enough to go to our book that’s online,” Groves said. “Do Control F… if you want to put in Control F: abortion; Control F: marriage, you can find everything that we’ve written about those topics.”

Despite repeated denials from Project 2025, Democrats insist that it includes radical proposals and is closely tied to Trump. DNC National Press Secretary Emilia Rowland accused Trump of trying to distance himself from the project while concealing his real plans for a second term.

Project 2025 features contributions from a wide range of authors, with about two-thirds not affiliated with the Heritage Foundation. Groves mentioned that within many chapters, there are both majority and minority views, reflecting a diversity of opinions.

“Within many of the chapters you’ll see, let’s call them minority views,” Groves explained. “There were some issues that really kind of split where conservatives are.”

Groves urged Republicans to disregard the criticisms from Democrats and stay united. “Don’t listen to the Left’s lies about Project 2025, don’t listen to Biden and Harris’s lies about Project 2025. If the Left and Harris are lying about it, then you have to realize that we’re over the target.”

As the 2024 election approaches, Project 2025 is likely to remain a contentious topic, with both sides using it to rally their bases.