Paul Dans departs as Project 2025 director amid campaign controversy

Paul Dans departed as Project 2025 director on July 30, 2024, amid Trump campaign pressure to distance from the Heritage Foundation blueprint. The departure followed campaign concerns about the project becoming a political liability, though Russell Vought later claimed Trump privately supports the work. In September 2024, Heritage Foundation revealed Dans was actually fired due to ‘dismissive and unprofessional’ workplace behavior, particularly at the Republican National Convention. Dans had led the policy development phase of Project 2025, which was nearly complete by July 2024.