Project 2025 director steps down after criticism, reports on contributors' racist remarks
The director of the controversial policy plan called Project 2025 steps down less than 24 hours after a USA TODAY investigation reveals a history of racist incidents among some of its contributors. Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League exposes an antisemitic conference in Kentucky and helps Reddit attack antisemitism. And a neo-Nazi Satanist whose writing has promoted racial hatred and child abuse — may still be a paid FBI informant.
It’s the week in extremism.
Project 2025 director steps down after racism allegations, Trump criticism
On Monday, USA TODAY first reported that several contributors to Project 2025 have a history of racist writing or comments. The sweeping conservative policy document had been seen as a blueprint for the next Republican presidency, but was widely criticized including for policies that would harm minority groups and people of color.
Less than 24 hours later, the director of the project stepped down, amid criticism from the campaign of former President Donald Trump, who has sought to distance himself from Project 2025.
USA TODAY’s story included Richard Hanania, who was unmasked last year for writing essays for white supremacist websites under a pseudonym; another contributor who praised the Confederacy, and one who wrote a thesis widely criticized as racist. .
After the announcement of the exit of Paul Dans, Project 2025’s director, the Washington Post reported that the effort, led by the Heritage Foundation, was ending its policy work. Multiple sources cited Trump’s continued criticism of Project 2025 as the reason for Dans’ departure, with the Wall Street Journal declaring that Trump had “buried” the project.
A ‘Jewish problem’ conference and antisemitism on Reddit
The Anti-Defamation League this week reported on a conference in Kentucky in late June that brought together white supremacists and other extremists to discuss what they called “the Jewish Problem.”
“The JP Conference’s blatantly antisemitic focus and its range of speakers is unprecedented and highlights the dangerous rise of antisemitism in the United States,” the ADL reported.
The League also detailed this week how it worked with the social media platform Reddit to tackle antisemitic hate towards Jewish moderators.
After the ADL was approached by Jewish moderators on Reddit who were experiencing antisemitism, the League monitored the site and collected dozens of examples of hateful conduct and abuse. In response, Reddit implemented several changes including providing refresher training to staff on the company’s policies on hate.
Satanist who worked for FBI is still influencing white supremacists
On Thursday, Wired magazine published a story about Joshua Caleb Sutter, a white supremacist Satanist who has long written and published books featuring murder, pedophilia and child abuse. USA TODAY wrote about Sutter’s history as a paid informant for the FBI in 2022.
Wired’s investigation updates Sutter’s continued influence: “The consequences of Sutter’s virulent extreme right propaganda continue to unfold, spawning new varieties of ultraviolent terrorism and violence in the darkest corners of the internet.”
It is unclear whether Sutter remains on the payroll of the FBI, which declined comment to Wired.
Statistic of the Week: 5
That’s how many years it has been this week since 21-year-old Patrick Crusius opened fire in an El Paso Walmart, killing 23 people and injuring 21 others in a white supremacist rampage.
Crusius, who last year was sentenced to serve 90 consecutive life sentences, published a document online in which he detailed his grievances, including claiming there was a Hispanic “invasion” of the United States.
Will Carless is a national correspondent covering extremism and emerging issues. Follow him on X, @willcarless.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Project 2025 director out after criticism, report on co-authors
