A renewed culture war in America

Project 25

There is a movement surfacing again in the American media called Project 2025. It is run by former Trump administration officials and calls for the sacking of thousands of civil servants and outlines sweeping powers for the president alongside more detailed proposals.

Trump has publicly disavowed Project 25, but the proposals outline, in effect, a new system of governance, markedly different from the one established in the US for at least five decades.

Project 2025 channels the values of the ultra-Orthodox Christian conservative community, taking a stringent stance on immigration, and significantly reducing government social spending.

These positions have prompted some observers to voice concern over the potential impact on social diversity and the public sector institutions that support millions of Americans in areas such as education and healthcare.

The prospects of the project becoming a defining feature of the future of the US are unclear. And Trump's victory is not assured, even with his lead in the opinion polls.

But there are rapid changes sweeping the US and they show no signs of abating. All the time, their economic and political repercussions are expected to continue escalating.

J.D. Vance – a revealing choice as running mate

Trump's selection of  Senator J. D. Vance as his running mate is particularly significant.

Unlike Trump, Vance hails from one of the poorest segments of white America. He enlisted in the armed forces to afford his university education. At first glance, the two men appear to have little in common.

Trump – a real estate mogul, businessman, and television personality – leveraged his father's wealth to launch his own career. He avoided military service in Vietnam, as did many sons of the affluent during that era.

But a closer look reveals that the choice of Vance aligns perfectly with what Trump envisions for his political heir: the continuation of social and political extremism.

Vance is positioned to capitalise on the growing discontent surrounding the failures of environmental projects and their prohibitive costs to the public.

He is expected to exert pressure on international allies to adhere to major US policies, reinforcing Trump's overarching strategy.

Vance made a controversial statement over Britain, labelling it "the first Islamic nuclear state," underscoring his alignment with Trump's provocative and polarising rhetoric.

Floundering Democrats

It is clear the Democrats have been unable to capitalise on their 2020 victory, despite having the opportunity to harness the widespread rejection of Trump's policies during his first term.

This failure stems from several factors, including the intensification of identity politics within the Democratic party itself and the deepening divide between urban centres on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Christian conservative populations in the Midwest and Southern states.

Democratic administrations have struggled to address the challenges that have plagued regions at the centre of the deindustrialisation of the 1990s.

Another contributing factor is President Joe Biden's belief that he is the sole defender of Western democracy against the rise of authoritarian regimes in Russia, China, and the far-right movements in Europe allied with them.

And Biden's biased stance towards Israel during the Gaza conflict has alienated many Arab and Muslim voices from the Democratic Party.

What is unfolding beneath the surface in the US – beyond the reach of news networks and breaking headlines – is what will ultimately shape the future of the country and, by extension, much of the world.