Since the 1960s, think tanks and advocacy groups have been key influencers of presidential policymaking. For decades, Democrat and Republican presidents have relied on think tanks for research and policy ideas. Most recently, think tank roles have shifted from advisory to actual policy formulation and implementation, whereby the president is the marionette controlled by the think tank puppeteers.
Research is replete that seven conservative organizations have had — in just 285 days of Trump 2.0 — hundreds of their recommendations implemented. If, since Jan. 20, your mind has been spinning around after witnessing a rapidly reshaped federal government and change in international diplomacy and social norms, you may wonder who is pulling Trump’s strings.
Let’s examine the seven think tank puppeteers who have controlled Trump’s 2.0 administration since Jan. 20 and will continue to change the U.S. until January 2029. This should help you better understand what’s going on at the White House.
Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025
Donald Trump posted on Truth Social in mid-2024 “I know nothing about Project 2025” despite an April 2022 speech at a Heritage Foundation event where he endorsed or acknowledged the project’s efforts.