What Project 2025 Says About the United Nations
"These are very destabilizing things for the UN"
The Trump Campaign is trying to distance itself from Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation project that plots a sweeping conservative overhaul of the U.S. government. That may be difficult. Top Trump campaign advisors contributed to the 900 page opus and none other than J.D. Vance wrote the forward to a forthcoming book by Project 2025’s lead author.
Project 2025 is a fever dream of right-wing policy proposals that are in vogue among a hardline conservative establishment, but very much out of step with how most Americans see things. Still, if the Trump-Vance ticket prevails in November, Project 2025 offers insights into how a second Trump administration would approach a host of domestic and foreign policy issues.
This includes an entire section of Project 2025 dedicated to upending America’s relationship with the United Nations.
Before diving into the details of what Project 2025 says about international institutions and the United Nations, it is worth emphasizing that the authors presume a degree of public disapproval with the UN that does not actually exist. On the contrary, the extremist policy proposals embedded in Project 2025, including the potential withdrawal of the United States from the UN, are wildly unpopular.
A poll by Morning Consult last year found “roughly two-thirds of Republicans and 86% of Democrats believe it’s important for the U.S. to ‘maintain an active role’ in the UN. UN favorability stood at 52%, with a plurality of Republicans saying they view the UN in a positive light.” These findings were similar to a Morning Consult poll taken a year prior, and also broadly reflected a Pew Research poll this April which found that 60% of Americans said the US benefits from being a member of the UN.
Americans rather like the UN—and they certainly don’t want to withdraw from it. Yet, Project 2025 leaves the door wide open for a second Trump administration's withdrawal from the UN altogether.
Immediately below the fold for our paying subscribers is a summary of what Project 2025 says about the United Nations.
My To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal and I discuss some of the direct implications of Project 2025 for America’s relationship with the United Nations under a second Trump administration. This includes an explanation of Project 2025’s concept of “human rights,” which is grounded in a conservative interpretation of Christianity that would subvert the pursuit of gender equality and LGBTQ rights through UN mechanisms.
You can listen to our conversation and access the transcript immediately below the fold. Our paying supporters can also access the episode on your preferred podcast listening app.
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