The Trump administration has implemented 53 percent of the policy proposals outlined in Project 2025, according to the Heritage Foundation, which authored the conservative blueprint for the second term. The implementation milestone comes as Trump faces significant midterm headwinds, with his approval rating hovering near historic lows and Democrats leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot.
In a June 2026 fundraising email, the Heritage Foundation credited the administration with enacting major provisions of Project 2025, including gutting the U.S. Agency for International Development and stripping diversity and inclusion policies from federal agencies. The independent Center for Progressive Reform, tracking the same agenda, confirmed the 53 percent figure by documenting 283 of 532 recommended actions that had been initiated or completed within the first year after Trump’s January 2025 inauguration.
Project 2025, a 900-page policy document released in April 2023, serves as a detailed roadmap for reshaping the federal government. During his 2024 campaign, Trump publicly distanced himself from the plan, at one point claiming he did not know who was behind it. Since taking office, however, the administration has systematically adopted central provisions from the blueprint, including efforts to consolidate White House power over traditionally independent agencies, strip civil service protections from thousands of federal workers, and end federal unions.
Trump’s political position has weakened considerably as Project 2025 implementation accelerates. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted in late April 2026 found his approval rating at 37 percent, the lowest of his second term, with 62 percent disapproving. More recent polling in July and August 2026 showed approval hovering between 37 and 39 percent, with consistent disapproval in the high 50s to low 60s. Among independents, his approval has fallen to record lows, at just 25 percent in April 2026 polling.
The approval decline reflects widespread public concern about economic conditions. In the ABC/Post/Ipsos poll, about three-quarters of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, and nearly as many disapproved of his inflation management. Trump’s disapproval rating on the economy reached 65 percent, matching his worst ratings from his first term and comparable to President Joe Biden’s lowest economic approval ratings in September 2023.
These headwinds are translating into electoral disadvantage heading into the 2026 midterms. The ABC/Post/Ipsos poll from April 2026 showed Democrats leading Republicans 49 to 44 percent on the generic House ballot, a 5-point margin that has widened since February. Among independent voters, Democrats held a commanding 20-point advantage, 52 to 32 percent. Historically, in April 2022 before the last midterms, Republicans and Democrats were essentially tied, and Republicans won control of Congress.
Recent primary elections have reinforced the political vulnerability. Trump-endorsed candidates lost races in Florida and Wyoming primaries in August 2026, signaling that his endorsement no longer carries the weight it once did in Republican primary contests. Additionally, Congress blocked Trump’s budget priorities in an August 2026 spending deal, limiting his legislative leverage as midterms approach.
The Heritage Foundation’s claim of 53 percent Project 2025 implementation represents substantial progress on a radical agenda that Trump once tried to distance himself from. Yet the political environment surrounding that implementation has deteriorated markedly, with Trump’s approval rating now among the lowest of his presidency and his party facing significant headwinds in the race to retain control of Congress.
Sources
- Bloomberg Law — The Trump administration has implemented 53% of Project 2025 policy proposals, per Heritage Foundation fundraising email
- Center for Progressive Reform — Tracked 283 of 532 Project 2025 recommendations initiated or completed in first year; detailed analysis of implementation across 20 federal agencies
- ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos — Trump approval rating at 37%, disapproval at 62%, with detailed breakdowns on issue-specific approval and midterm vote preferences
- Pew Research Center — Trump approval rating at 34% as of July 2026 midterm polling
