EPISODE 31: Inside Project 2025 — The Hidden Network Behind Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook

Surviving Trump: With Democracy On Life Support

Where did Project 2025 really come from, and who’s behind its push for authoritarian power? In this episode, Bella Goode takes listeners inside the origin story of the most coordinated political blueprint in modern history. From right-wing think tanks and MAGA insiders to billionaires funding extremism and global inspiration from autocrats abroad, Project 2025 isn’t just Trump’s plan—it’s a full-scale ideological operation years in the making.

Key Takeaways To Listen For

• The hidden roles of Paul Dans and Russell Vought in constructing and activating Project 2025
• Why “Personnel is Policy” became the strategic heart of the initiative and what it means for democracy
• The influence of more than 100 right-wing organizations in shaping every part of federal power
• The billionaires bankrolling authoritarianism: Leonard Leo, Rebekah Mercer, Peter Thiel, the Koch Network, and more
• International influence: How Viktor Orbán’s illiberal democracy in Hungary became the model for American autocracy
• How Christian nationalism and racial hierarchy shape the plan’s ideological engine
• The deeper purpose behind Project 2025: Why equality, not chaos, is their biggest fear

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

• The People's Guide to Project 2025
• Politico
• The Heritage Foundation
• The Federalist Society
• Alliance Defending Freedom
• The Claremont Institute
• Turning Point USA
• Moms for Liberty
• Students for Trump
• Family Research Council
• Democracy Forward

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Host: Bella Goode

Bella is a former Republican turned democracy advocate raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania with a masters of business administration from Wharton and a Masters Degree in Positive Psychology.

Career wise, Bella spent 20 years with American Express in New York and 20 years as an entrepreneur. She started and sold a fitness business that grew to 180 locations worldwide.

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