During a recent interview, Trump National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the media for talking “about Project 2025, which has nothing to do with our campaign.” Media outlets should be skeptical about denials like that for many reasons, including the fact that Leavitt herself worked on Project 2025. 

Project 2025 is an extreme right-wing initiative headed by The Heritage Foundation that intends to provide policy and personnel to the next conservative administration. The initiative is closely tied to former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance, who wrote the foreword for Project 2025 architect Kevin Roberts’ book. CNN reported that “at least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration had a hand in Project 2025.” 

Leavitt previously worked in the Trump administration and as a Newsmax TV contributor. On August 12, she appeared on Louder with Crowder, the show hosted by virulent misogynist and bigot Steven Crowder, who has referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as a “generically ethnic whore.” Further evidence of the host’s extremism can be found in his connection to 9/11 truther and Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, with whom he has collaborated on his show. During his interview with Leavitt, Crowder wore a shirt reading “Alex Jones was right.” 

During the interview, Leavitt went out of her way to distance the Trump campaign from Project 2025, stating: “He has unveiled hundreds of policy proposals on his website, DonaldJTrump.com, Agenda 47. The media likes to talk about Project 2025, which has nothing to do with our campaign. It is Agenda 47.”

Leavitt is perhaps not the best messenger to try to distance the Trump campaign from Project 2025. As ProPublica documented, Leavitt appears in a Project 2025 video called “The Art of Professionalism.” (She recorded it prior to joining the Trump campaign.) During that presentation, Leavitt discussed working in the Trump White House and how to navigate working for the federal government. 

At the end of the video, Leavitt told Project 2025 trainees: “So best of luck, and if you need us as a resource, we are here to help.”