Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams: Episode Summary Episode Title: How Project 2025 Is Rewriting America - Phase II
Release Date: May 22, 2025
Host: Stacey Abrams
Guest: David A. Graham, Author of How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America

1. Introduction to the Episode

Stacey Abrams opens the episode by addressing the critical issue of voter suppression in America, emphasizing its threat to democracy. She highlights her organization's efforts through Fair Fight to combat these tactics and protect voting rights.

2. Voter Suppression and Fair Fight's Mission

Abrams discusses the persistent attacks on voting rights, particularly focusing on Georgia as a battleground state where voter suppression has been aggressively tested.

• Notable Quote:
  "No one has the right to win an election, but every eligible American should have the right to vote and have that vote count."
  (00:00)

3. Introduction to Project 2025

The episode transitions to the central topic: Project 2025. Abrams outlines the alarming nature of this comprehensive blueprint aimed at restructuring American society under a Christian nationalist framework.

• Key Points:

  • Project 2025 is a 900+ page plan designed for implementation during Donald Trump's second term.
  • It aims to transform the U.S. into a theocratic nation influenced by Christian nationalism and controlled by billionaires and tech moguls.
  • Goals include stripping bodily autonomy, endangering immigrants, erasing historical and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, and dismantling government programs.

• Notable Quote:
  "The Project 2025 plan is not a game. Look it up."
  (00:00)

4. Interview with David A. Graham

a. Origins and Connection to the Heritage Foundation

David A. Graham explains the historical roots of Project 2025, tracing its lineage back to the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership published in 1996. This document served as a blueprint for the Reagan administration and has evolved to influence current conservative strategies.

• Notable Quote:
  "They decided they wanted to get back in the game... to have both policies and ways to achieve them and the personnel they needed to make those things happen."
  (11:39)

b. Core Goals of Project 2025

Graham outlines the four primary objectives of Project 2025:

1. Restore the Family as the Center of American Life: Promotes traditional, biblically-based family structures.
2. Dismantle the Administrative State: Seeks to reduce the power of federal agencies and increase presidential authority.
3. Protect America's Borders and Wealth: Focuses on stringent immigration controls and financial sovereignty.
4. Restore the Blessings of Liberty: Aims to infuse government operations with Christian values.

• Notable Quote:
  "They want to seize a ton of power for the president that the president hasn't historically had, and they want to take power from Congress in particular."
  (13:18)

5. Implementation of Project 2025 in the Trump Administration

Graham details how Project 2025 has already influenced policy changes within the first four months of Trump's second term.

a. Dismantling the Administrative State

• Overhaul of independent agencies like the FCC, FTC, and FEC.
• Attempts to override longstanding legal protections to increase presidential control.

b. Promoting Christian Nationalism

• Efforts to embed Christian values into government policies.
• Promotion of traditional gender roles and opposition to LGBTQ+ rights.

c. Changes to Social Services and Civil Rights

• Significant cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and clean energy tax credits.

• Reorientation of civil rights bodies to prioritize anti-Christian discrimination over traditional protections.

• Notable Quote:
  "They want to use the government for all these things to get these things done... putting religion at the center of so many things in American life."
  (23:33)

6. Legal Strategies of Project 2025

Project 2025 employs sophisticated legal tactics to reshape governmental structures and undermine democratic principles.

• Attack on Independent Agencies:
  Efforts to reduce the autonomy of agencies like the FCC and FTC by challenging their independence in court.

• Impoundment of Funds:
  Attempts to restrict the executive branch's use of allocated funds, seeking to overturn the 1974 law preventing such actions.

• Supreme Court Challenges:
  Seeking to overturn key Supreme Court decisions that protect independent agencies and executive limits.

• Notable Quote:
  "They have a sense that the Constitution's on their side even when the law isn't."
  (17:46)

7. Impacts on Democracy and Civil Rights

Graham emphasizes the dangerous implications of Project 2025 on American democracy, highlighting:

• Erosion of checks and balances.

• Suppression of minority and marginalized communities.

• Reversal of civil rights advancements.

• Notable Quote:
  "This is an attack on checks and balances. The center of the democratic system in this country... is that no one branch has unfettered power."
  (19:15)

8. Response and Resistance Strategies

Graham outlines strategies for resisting the authoritarian shift proposed by Project 2025:

1. Understanding the Blueprint:
   Encourages the public to read and comprehend Project 2025 to effectively counter its strategies.

2. Leveraging Popular Will:
   Recognizes that public opposition can mitigate the implementation of oppressive policies.

3. Legal Action:
   Emphasizes the role of courts in defending democratic principles and stopping unconstitutional actions.

4. Building a Positive Vision:
   Advocates for creating and promoting alternative visions of government that reflect democratic and inclusive values.

• Notable Quote:
  "We need to read the plan and understand where they're going... speaking up about them is really important."
  (43:17)

9. Conclusion and Call to Action

Abrams concludes by urging listeners to educate themselves about Project 2025, share the episode to spread awareness, and engage with their communities and elected officials to defend democracy. She emphasizes the importance of collective action and staying informed to counteract the authoritarian ambitions of Project 2025.

• Notable Quote:
  "Knowledge is, in fact, our power. So let's use it."
  (45:24)

Key Takeaways

• Project 2025 is a detailed plan aimed at restructuring American society under a Christian nationalist and authoritarian framework.
• Fair Fight, led by Stacey Abrams, actively combats voter suppression tactics that threaten democratic processes.
• David A. Graham, an expert on Project 2025, provides an in-depth analysis of its origins, goals, and implementation strategies.
• Legal and Political Strategies of Project 2025 aim to dismantle independent agencies and concentrate power within the executive branch.
• Community Engagement and Legal Action are crucial in resisting and countering the oppressive measures outlined in Project 2025.

Recommended Actions for Listeners

1. Educate Yourself:
   Read David A. Graham's book How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America to gain a comprehensive understanding of the plan.

2. Engage with Elected Officials:
   Contact your local, state, and federal representatives to express your concerns and advocate for policies that protect democratic values.

3. Support Organizations Fighting Voter Suppression:
   Get involved with or donate to organizations like Fair Fight that work to uphold voting rights and fair elections.

4. Stay Informed and Active:
   Continuously monitor legislative changes, court rulings, and executive actions that may influence the direction of American democracy.

This summary provides an overview of the key discussions and insights from the episode "How Project 2025 Is Rewriting America - Phase II" of Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams. For a more detailed understanding, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode.