GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Democratic candidates hosted a town hall in Green Bay Tuesday to discuss Project 2025, a conservative policy plan Donald Trump has publicly disavowed.
- Take a look inside Tuesday's town hall meeting at the Brown County Democratic Party office in Green Bay
- Project 2025 is a policy proposal led by conservative group the Heritage Foundation
- Donald Trump plans to hold a rally in Mosinee, Wisconsin this weekend
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Former President Donald Trump has publicly disavowed Project 2025. The policy proposal led by conservative group the Heritage Foundation is a guide for the next conservative president of the United States. But, 140 people from his administration are reportedly linked to it.
"When someone tells you they have nothing to do with it but 140 of their folks have written it that tells me volumes," Rep. Mark Pocan said. "Since they're trying to lie about it, our job is to make sure we're telling the truth about it."
"The fact that president Trump has had a connection with a conservative, with some conservatives that work in Washington D.C. should not be a surprise to anybody and so the fact is he's not adopting Project 2025," Brown County Republican Party Chairman Doug Reich said. "I don't think anyone would accuse Donald Trump of hiding what he thinks about anything from people."
Rep. Mark Pocan and congressional candidate Dr. Kristin Lyerly gave a presentation on Project 2025 in Green Bay Tuesday evening, taking questions from voters and reporters.
NBC 26 spoke with Brown County Republican Party Chairman Doug Reich beforehand.
"I think it's a way for maybe Democrats to fear monger or scare their base," Reich said.
"As a woman who takes care of women in this country, I am afraid and my patients are afraid. People will lose access to healthcare, they will have to pay more for prescription drugs under this plan. They redefine contraception," Dr. Lyerly said at the town hall. "Should people be afraid? Absolutely they should be afraid."
In response to the town hall meeting, Trump-endorsed congressional candidate Tony Wied's campaign sent a statement which reads in part "The last thing [Wisconsin's 8th congressional district] woters want is the insane agenda of Mark Pocan and his Madison values in this district."
As for how real the possibility is that some of the ideas in project 2025 could become law, Pocan says it very much exists.
"If they would have a republican congress which they currently have ... If they have the senate which is very possible because of the seats that are up this cycle, and they had the white house there's really few limits to what they couldn't do in this plan," Pocan said.
