Project 2025: A Return to ‘America First’ or a Prelude to America Last?

What a Trump Second Term, Project 2025, and Friends Like Musk Could Mean for the World.

Nov 14, 2024

The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 reads like a right-wing wish list, meticulously crafted to lay the groundwork for an administration that disregards checks and balances and envisions the US presidency as a one-man show. Trump’s comeback comes with higher stakes and far graver implications. From deportation forces and draconian immigration policies to Musk’s Silicon Valley spin on free speech (cue: Twitter's rather unique ‘anything goes’ rebranding), Trump’s re-election looks likely to dramatically alter both America’s and the world’s economic, environmental, and political landscapes.

The Economy: “The Art of the Deal” or a Series of Unfortunate Events?

Trump's “America First” slogan wasn’t just rhetoric. His administration looks set to return with new tariffs and protectionist policies, aimed at reshoring jobs to the US but with every chance of reigniting trade wars. Expect tariffs on imported goods, from China to Canada, that could trickle down to everyday products. What does this mean for Americans? Probably higher prices and inflation, which Trump has already blamed on Biden while boasting he alone could tame it. Ironically, isolating the US through trade policies might well stoke inflation as global supply chains, especially in manufacturing. And if global shipping get’s any more interrupted, where are the likes of Walmart, Target and Old Navy going to procure all their “Cheap Shit”?

And then there's Trump’s somewhat complex and very “weird” relationship with Elon. Picture it: Musk, whose acquisition of Twitter (or “X” as it’s been hastily rebranded) aligns him as an apparent free speech crusader, seems to stand to benefit quite handsomely from a Trump presidency. His views on regulation (or the lack of it) gel well with Trump's ‘government hands-off’ approach. If Trump holds off on Big Tech regulations, Musk's ventures, whether in social media or AI, would thrive under the laissez-faire oversight Trump seems likely to promise his allies. Yet the cherry on top of this billionaire bromance might be space. Musk’s SpaceX which seems to become the administration's favourite contractor for all things extraterrestrial.

Immigration: Operation “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Wall”

Perhaps one of the most dystopian chapters of Trump’s comeback script involves his pledge for sweeping immigration reform. Trump’s advisors, including hardliners like Stephen Miller, have hinted at plans to use state and local law enforcement to assist with large-scale deportations, which could reach staggering levels of “round-ups” not seen since the worst moments of 20th-century history. Sources like the ACLU suggest that enlisting local authorities and potentially even the National Guard could lead to a systemised deportation operation that would disrupt communities nationwide. Human rights groups warn that these mass removals, driven by racial profiling, could bring unconstitutional searches, detentions, and raids on workplaces and homes. While Trump has branded this as merely “law and order,” it edges uncomfortably close to a police state.

The Environment: Draining the Swamp... of Federal Oversight

Project 2025 would dismantle the environmental protections established by agencies like the EPA, unleashing a “pro-business” wave that could greenlight pollution-heavy projects previously blocked by regulation. Rolling back Biden-era clean energy policies, as well as Trump’s evident scepticism toward climate change, is seemingly signalling a resurgence of fossil fuel interests placing the US at odds with international environmental goals. Such deregulation could make fracking the new national pastime, while drilling might well extend to previously untouched reserves. Though it’s packaged as a boon for job creation, it would largely serve short-term gains at severe environmental costs.

Human Rights: Rights for Some, Surveillance for Others?

Trump’s stance on free speech, privacy, and minority rights has always been fraught with contradictions. His support of Musk’s “X” initiative to be the town square for free speech seems less principled than performative. It’s fair to expect Trump to continue with his vendetta against the media and any figures who criticise him, alongside weaponising government bodies to investigate perceived opponents. This poses a distinct threat to journalists, activists, and those daring enough to contradict the administration's line. Internationally, such policies would see America drift further from allies championing human rights, with ripple effects seen in diplomacy, trade, and potentially even tech markets as the US cuts itself off from progressive human rights policies globally.

Foreign Relations and Trade: Make Enemies (and Tariffs) Great Again

Trump’s international stance has typically oscillated between friendly with authoritarians and abrasive with democracies. His alliance with leaders like Viktor Orban and Kim Jong-Un signals a further pivot towards isolationism. Trade agreements and pacts designed to strengthen economic alliances, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, may face an abrupt freeze, replaced by tariffs and a return to import-export brinkmanship. For the UK and EU, this could mean severed ties and financial instability, especially with Trump’s disdain for the NATO alliance. The result? The US risks economic isolation that would leave its allies seeking new partners, pushing the US further out of the global economic sphere.

Musk, Trump, and Tech’s Unrestrained Future

Trump’s admiration for Musk as a “visionary” could herald a deregulated tech landscape. Musk’s laissez-faire leadership at X aligns with Trump’s approach to “unshackling” businesses from governmental oversight. For tech companies, this could mean a period of innovation—yet without privacy, content moderation, or consumer protections. The worry? That an unregulated tech boom becomes an unaccountable tech dystopia. Musk’s AI aspirations may evolve unfettered by government intervention, while his influence over social media could amplify misinformation, making the truth an even rarer commodity than now.

What Could Possibly Go Right?

If you squint hard enough, some aspects of Trump’s policies might work for those craving the pre-globalisation economy. For domestic manufacturing and fossil fuel industries, the return to protectionist policies could indeed create jobs. But with inflation on the rise and international isolationism tightening supply chains, these gains may be very short-lived, creating, at best, an unstable boom-and-bust cycle… So, for Trump - nothing new.

Final Thoughts: Reality or Satire?

If Project 2025 seems like satire, that’s because it sits perilously close. Trump’s vision, interwoven with Musk’s libertarian views, sees America first—but at what cost? From human rights to economic stability, the plan may court the disaster it seeks to avoid. It’s a recipe for domestic chaos, global estrangement, and the further deterioration of already fragile democratic norms. In short, Project 2025 may aim to make America “great,” but it risks making it alone in the process.