Subject: Re: Trump and Project 2025
Heritage has very little influence in a world where the right-wing has shifted into populism, but they have even less influence in a world where Donald Trump is the nominee.

That may be true, but it doesn't matter. This is all about the intersection of politics and advertising. Political ads and campaigns don't have to strictly tell the truth the way one has to under oath in a courtroom. They often tell the truth without telling the whole truth. And that's what is being suggested here.

There IS overlap between what Trump wants and what is in Project 2025. That is, apparently, by design of the authors of Project 2025. So the campaign advertising would highlight that.

You say that both Trump and Project 2025 want to fill the civil service with political appointees instead of people hired for competence. (That is absolutely true.) You say that both Trump and Project 2025 want to use the DOJ to go after political enemies. (Again, true.) There's another couple of places where the two are in alignment which could be used as well. Toss in a couple of quotes from Project 2025, where they talk about it being the plan for the next Republican administration and where they support Trump for President. (Still true statements). Then you talk about other parts of Project 2025 that hit people more personally. Nationwide abortion ban. Tax cuts for the wealthy but not the average citizen. Eliminating the Department of Education, the EPA, NOAA. On that last one remind people that NOAA forecasts tornadoes and hurricanes - things that help people prepare for dangerous weather events. For the EPA, remind them of Superfund clean up sites, and/or similar things the EPA does that impact people directly. (Still sticking to truthful statements.) Point out how many of the people behind Project 2025 also worked in the Trump administration.

Close by saying both Trump and Project 2025 are bad for America. (In marketing words much better than this accountant can write.)

Vary the ad campaign up by tweaking it for House or Senate races - maybe personalizing it for the race by tying the Republican candidate to Trump and/or Project 2025 with some of their public statements or their voting record.

The target for these ads is not the hard core Trump-Republican base. They are not going to change their minds. The target for Presidential ads is the handful of swing states. Congressional ads would be targeted to those purple districts and states where the race is close.

So it just doesn't matter that Trump is unlikely to listen to Heritage on policy matters. They have some policies in common and that is good enough for an effective ad campaign.

--Peter

PS - I suspect Trump will listen to Heritage when it comes to filling all of the appointed posts that need bodies in them. He probably hasn't thought about that very much, but they have.