Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

I read Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, their framework for a new Trump administration, all 900 boring pages, annotating as I went. The Democrats have their shorts in a knot over it. What riles them is the prospect of an administration actually bringing a leftist-leaning bureaucracy to heel, a bureaucracy that has long acted to subvert the duly elected president when it saw fit. Project 2025 calls for better management, eliminating duplication, consolidating disparate functions, and removing those who don’t or won’t do their job or follow legitimate administration policy. It would abolish the worthless Department of (anti) Education whose only accomplishments have been to lower test scores and insist that boys calling themselves girls play in women’s sports. Homeland Security also ought to join DOE on the bureaucratic rubbish pile, its constituent parts returned to their original or to an existing suitable agency. It was a needless monster when created by the Bush administration; its value has only decreased. By attacking Project 2025’s reforms the Dems reveal their own version of the Brezhnev doctrine—once an agency exists it must always exist.

Our government is filled with bureaucrats who willfully disregard their own rules and even the law. The Smithsonian went so far as to declare Vietnam veterans no longer counted as veterans and, therefore ineligible for a special hiring program. When confronted one supervisor tried to deny veterans status was permanent until upbraided by OPM. Smithsonian’s position was a fabrication personalists had conjured out of the ether. During the Carter administration, the State Department brushed aside rules on appointing veterans to bring women and approved minorities on board exempting them from the State’s rigorous entrance examination. In disciplinary matters, bureaucrats have broken their own departmental regulations and federal law by persecuting long-time civil servants on trumped-up charges when they wanted to get rid of them; perjury was not a stranger in their proceedings. These are but a few examples, the list of abuses by an out-of-control Mandarin class is endless.

If Project 2025 wasn’t enough Democrats are also riled by the rise of J.D. Vance. I’m amused by Vance’s critics, most of whom I assume are creatures of MSNBC or CNN where a reporter had asserted BLM rioters were peaceful as a building behind him went up in flames. Facts are a problem for the left. Down the memory hole is Kamala Harris calling Biden a racist. She changed her view of Biden as racist when the vice presidency came calling, but the left disparages Vance for changing his view of Trump. At least Vance wrote an apology, Harris just brasses it out praising Biden to the heavens as the most accomplished president in modern history. What happened to Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson? Has she never heard of them? Oh, how easily Democratic aspirants forget their party’s heroes. Personally, I am neutral on Vance, but he must scare the hell out of the left. An Ivy League hillbilly, who comes from a social class the progressives don’t think should even exist, much less vote. 

When it comes to Biden, I have to give it to Pelosi, the old gal is still treacherous. She learned her lessons well in Baltimore’s underhanded politics. Her father, an unequaled conniving machine hack as mayor, would be proud of her. Now her party’s panjandrums, having vilified Trump as the greatest threat to democracy on the planet, disregard Biden voters and stage a palace coup. So much for democracy when it becomes inconvenient. Congratulations are in order Nancy: you and the Party politburo foisted the dilapidated mountebank on the country for as long as you could then dumped him when no longer useful. This business is reminding me of “I Claudius” when Herod Agrippa, who had been a friend of Emperor Claudius, betrays him by revolting against Rome. “Trust no one” says Herod before being executed. Joe should have paid closer attention.

• About
• Latest Posts

William Layer

Lt. Colonel Civil Affairs, USAR (ret) served twenty-six years in the regular and reserve components of the US Army. He was civil military liaison for the 260th Military Police, DC National Guard, State Public Affairs Officer, Commander of the Public Affairs unit and a counter-drug intelligence analyst. Transferring to the 352 Civil Affairs Command as monuments and archives officer, he became the Command Public Affairs Officer in Iraq as well as liaison to local Iraqi leaders and acting Secretary to the General Staff. He was instrumental in recovering photographic artifacts of the Iraqi Royal family while in Baghdad. He was wounded in action in an ambush in Feb. 2004 for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.
In his civilian career he worked primarily in Army Public Affairs and for the Air Force as historian to the presidential wing in the early Reagan administration and later for Air Force Legislative Liaison covering congressional hearings and assisting in preparing testimony for senior leaders.
His essays and reviews have appeared in the scholarly and popular press including Asian Affairs and the Washington Times. He is co-author, with Ali Wahab, of The Iraqi Royal Family, a Collection of Photographs Recovered from The Ruins of the Zuhur Palace, 2004.
A native New Yorker, he holds a BA with honors in history from Findlay College (Ohio) and an MA in history from The Ohio State University. He is a graduate of the US Army Command & General Staff College and was graduated with distinction US Naval War College with a MA in National Security and Strategic Studies.

Latest posts by William Layer (see all)

• “War crime!” say Dems, history says NO! - December 11, 2025
• The Afghan killer — murder without motive in DC? Not likely - December 2, 2025
• “No Kings”? Are they playing with a full deck? - November 3, 2025

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.