Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen has expressed disquiet over the potential implementation of Project 2025, an ambitious plan crafted by the right-leaning think tank, the Heritage Foundation. Cohen voiced these concerns on his latest Mea Culpa podcast Friday, where he warned that the proposed changes could lead to a "dangerous concentration of power" should Donald Trump secure a second term in the White House.
Michael Cohen Expresses Concern Over Project 2025 in Trump’s Presumed Second Term
Cohen, who testified against Donald Trump in his criminal hush money trial in May, has been an outspoken critic of the former president. His warning about Project 2025 comes during a time of heightened political tension in the United States. Cohen called last weekend’s assassination attempt on Trump a "grim reminder of the volatile and polarized state of American politics."
On July 13, a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania was shaken when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, injuring the former president and two attendees, and tragically, claiming the life of former firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Cohen’s alarm at the nation’s "increasingly toxic" political atmosphere dovetailed into a sobering discussion about Project 2025. The 900-page document outlines a comprehensive plan for a future Republican administration. The proposal harbors sweeping changes including the rollback of environmental commitments, the abolition of the Department of Education, cuts to federal health programs, and the revocation of FDA approval for the abortion pill, mifepristone.
According to Cohen, Project 2025 "could fundamentally alter the structure of the federal government." Many opponents share this sentiment, viewing Project 2025 as an attempt to concentrate power in the executive branch at the expense of existing checks and balances.
"If Trump wins in 2024, this dangerous concentration of power would undermine our system’s essential democratic safeguards," Cohen warned. He also stressed the potential for the Project’s proposed reforms "to erode democratic norms and institutions," opening the road to authoritarianism.
As Trump formally accepted the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, polling data from FiveThirtyEight revealed him leading over President Joe Biden by 3.2 points as of Saturday morning.
Cohen characterized Project 2025 as "a manifesto" heavily endorsed by Trump and his allies. However, Trump and his campaign have publicly distanced themselves from it, despite some Trump-affiliated figures playing key roles in crafting the project. These include former Cabinet secretaries.
As part of our ongoing commitment to challenging conventional wisdom to find common ground, Newsweek reached out to Trump’s campaign spokesperson for comment on Saturday.
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