by Andy Kroll, ProPublica, and Nick Surgey, Documented
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ProPublica and Documented obtained more than 14 hours of never-before-published videos from Project 2025’s National Administration Academy, which are intended to train the next traditional government’s political appointees” to be available on day one”.
The Heritage Foundation and its supporters ‘ vision of a upcoming conservative political administration have lost their director, Project 2025, which is a contentious handbook and policy agenda. It has recently received harsh criticism from both Democrat organizations and former president Donald Trump, whose plan has tried to distance itself from the work.
However, Project 2025’s strategy for training a large army of political appointees to combat the’deep position bureaucracy is still in place. Video courses like these are one of the “four columns” of that plan, says Spencer Chretien, the associate director of Project 2025, in” Political Appointees & The Federal Workforce”.
For clarity, we are publishing the video as we obtained them.
The Heritage Foundation and the majority of the people in the video cited in this account did not respond to ProPublica’s repeated requests for comment. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said,” As our campaign management and President Trump have repeatedly stated, Agenda 47 is the only official policy agenda from our plan”.
Conservative Principles ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
In” Conserving America”, Matthew Spalding, a vice president at Hillsdale College, sets out the surroundings for the National Administration Academy by talking about common liberal rules.
Hillsdale College is a little, Christian liberal arts college in Michigan that has served as a feed for the Trump administration’s employees as well as its excellent books education, which emphasizes reading the classic works from the Western canon.
The Conservative Movement’s History ( Recorded and ProPublica-Recorded )
In” The History of the Conservative Movement”, Christopher Malagisi, the executive director of outreach for Hillsdale College’s Washington, D. C., campus, gives a history that spans from the early-20th century Progressive Era to the 1964 defeat of Barry Goldwater and the” Reagan revolution”.
ProPublica and Documentation: Appointees and Policymaking
Three Heritage Foundation authorities discuss the impact political officials have on policy in” Why Your Service Matters: How National Officials at All Levels Impact Policy.”
They talk about the importance of planning ahead to “hit the ground running” and visit the first 100 days of an administration a “honeymoon time” for policy implementation.
ProPublica and the Federal Workforce: Appointees and the Federal Workforce ( Reported and Documented )
In his book” Political Appointees & The Federal Workforce,” Chretien discusses the crucial role political officials play in achieving the vision of a traditional management.
Chretien held positions as associate director of political personnel and special assistant to the leader in the Trump administration.
Presidential Transitions and Appointee Hiring ( ProPublica and Documented )
How can aspiring political appointees get a foot in the door during a political transition, Ed Corrigan and Rick Dearborn explain in” Presidential Transitions & Appointee Hiring: What You Need to Know.”
Dearborn served as the executive director of Trump’s political change team in 2016 as well as a former White House deputy chief of staff.
Corrigan has worked in the Senate for a long time. He served as president and CEO of the renowned Washington-based Conservative Partnership Institute as part of Trump’s transition group.
Federal Security Clearances and Background Checks ( ProPublica and Documented )
In” Deep Swim on The Federal Background Investigation & Security Clearance Process”, Kirk gives an overview of the federal government’s background check procedure, including what disqualifies an adult, like substance abuse issues, and what does not.
Kirk, an associate producer of Project 2025, served in the Office of Personnel Management during the Trump administration.
What It’s Like to Be an Appointee ( ProPublica and Documented )
Bethany Kozma, the deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development during the Trump administration, discusses what it’s like to be a political appointment in the federal government in” The Political Appointee’s Survival Guide.”
Time Management for Appointees ( ProPublica and Documented )
In her book,” Time Management for Political Appointees,” Katie Sullivan explains how political appointees can increase the length of their time in office by ensuring that their meetings are vetted before allowing career civil servants to schedule meetings.
Past speaking assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, a grant-making organization,
The ProPublica and Documented Art of Competence
In” The Art of Professionalism”, Chris Hayes and Leavitt discuss principles of how to work with expertise while serving in state.
Hayes previously worked for the traditionalist movement’s Leadership Institute, a think tank that provides leadership and management tools.
Kind previously served as the press secretary of Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign.
Staffing an Office ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
In” How to Staff Your Principal”, Jeff Small discusses the day-to-day work of serving closely with a senior government official like a cabinet secretary.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., is now the chief of staff and a top assistant to the interior minister.
Left-Wing Code Words and Biased Language ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
In” Hidden Meanings: The Monsters in the Attic,” Sullivan and Kozma discuss sworn left-wing jargon and bias speech that potential officials should be aware of and root out.
How to Work with the Media ( ProPublica and Documented )
In her book,” How to Work with the Media,” Alexei Woltornist discusses how political officials should navigate the contemporary media landscape, including skipping over traditional media sources and focusing on conservative stores because that is the only source of confidence for conservative voters.
Previous U.S. Department of Homeland Security assistant director for common interests, Woltornist.
Government Oversight and Investigations ( ProPublica and Documented )
In” Oversight & Investigations,” Mike Howell, Tom Jones, and Michael Ding explain the ins and outs of public records rules, as well as when and when to write delicate connections.
He is the executive director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project.
Jones runs the American Accountability Foundation, a conservative studies team.
Ding represents America First Legal, a company that supports Trump.
ProPublica and Documentation: The Federal Budget Process
In” The Federal Budget Process,” Michael Duffey explains important budgetary decisions, including voluntary versus mandatory spending, as well as the distinction between approval and budget expenses.
During the Trump presidency, Duffey held positions in the Office of Management and Budget.
ProPublica and Documented: The Administrative State
In Paul Ray’s” The Administrative State: What it is & How to Address the Problem,” Paul Ray explains what a traditional leadership might do with its authority to stifle government regulation.
Former Trump presidency attorney Ray was the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs’s executive while in office.
Federal Regulatory Procedure ( ProPublica and Documented )
David Burton discusses the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs ‘ responsibility and how the federal government’s regulatory process operates in” How to Promulgate a Rule.”
Burton is the Heritage Foundation’s top monetary policy brother.
Lessons from the Trump Administration’s ProPublica and Documentation on enacting new rules
Roger Severino discusses what liberals learned from the passage of new laws during the Trump administration and how to be more successful in a traditional leadership in the coming years in” Taking the Reins: How Republicans You Win the Regulations Game.”
Severino served as the Trump administration’s vice president for private policy at the Heritage Foundation and as the agency’s past director for the Office of Civil Rights.
Executive Orders ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
In” Executive Order Drafting & Implementation”, Steven G. Bradbury explains the process of writing and carrying out professional directions, drawing on knowledge from the Trump administration.
During the Trump presidency, Bradbury served as a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation and as a former attorney for the Department of Transportation.
Advancing the President’s Agenda ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
In” Advancing the President’s Agenda as a Democratic Executive”, Donald J. Devine and James Bacon discuss different strategies for promoting the government’s policies as a high-ranking political appointee.
Divine was the Office of Personnel Management’s former director under Ronald Reagan.
Bacon is a former special assistant to the National Personnel Office, serving during the Trump presidency.
Navigating Policymaking ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
Dan Huff describes the steps involved in the executive branch’s policy process in” How to Get Your Plan Through the Agency.”
Huff is a former legal assistant in the White House Office of National Personnel, serving during the Trump administration.
Working With Congress ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
Hugh Fike and James Braid discuss what executive tree political officials should be aware of and able to expect working with elected officials and congressional offices in” Congressional Relations: How to Work with People.”
During the Trump administration, Fike and Braid both worked in the Office of Management and Budget for congressional matters.
Coalition Building ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
Paul Teller and Sarah Makin discuss how social officials you collaborate with pro-life, gun-rights, and other outside advocacy organizations to pass laws in” Building Winning Coalitions to Advance Policy.”
During the Trump administration, Teller served as a top adviser to the president’s business and as a senior adviser to the president.
During the Trump administration, Makin served as the Office of the Vice President’s former deputy assistant and former chairman of engagement.
Social Media Messaging ( Obtained by ProPublica and Documented )
Ben Friedmann explains how political appointees can use social media to spread traditional emails and plans in” Best Practices in Social Media to Advance Policy.”
Former State Department deputy assistant director for modern method, Friedmann.
Chris Morran and Lisa Riordan Seville create video.
