'Once that happens, it's over': Ex-navy serviceman flags plan to stop Trump's major goal

A former Navy serviceman has warned one implementation means "it's over" for democracy.

The ongoing implementation of the Trump administration-backed Project 2025 could be a point of no return, according to ex-service member Michael Bedenbaugh. The former serviceman raised the issue of authoritarianism and has since penned a new book, "Reviving Our Republic", which issues 95 theses for "the future of America".

Speaking to The Irish Star about a counter to Project 2025, Bedenbaugh says the American people must stand against what he sees as the rise of an authoritarian government. He said, "Once that happens, it's over. Because people want to control things. And that has been the form of government most people have relied upon."

"They're willing to give up rights as long as they're comfortable. And the small minority of folks who don't like that, well, they either get executed or exiled.

"What makes our nation so remarkable was that with intention, we had a group of people get together and create something that broke that cycle." Bedenbaugh also pointed to "pure democracies" that "turn into tyrannies" as something the American people must be vigilant against.

He added, "So one of the things our founders warned us about is that democracies, pure democracies, tend to turn into tyrannies and into authoritarian regimes because things can get confusing and people find solace in a strong person who can guide them out of a dark area."

"We tend to do that. We have to have to make sure we guard against that tendency, because once that happens, it's over. Why are people reacting harshly and going for a strong man, which Donald Trump represents, and which Project 2025 represents?"

"We must mitigate against these tendencies. And that's why I wrote the book to give another option, another way to say, there is a way out of this. Here's the route for that." Bedenbaugh also suggested that there is promise in Project 2025, but that the changes the government are making are fundamentally wrong.

He explained, "They were naming the things that are the problems. But instead of looking at the roots of our constitutional conviction, of our separation of powers, of the brilliance in checks and balances that our nation has, and also tapping into the diverse citizenry we have throughout the nation, Project 2025 pretty much just says we should just give more power to the executive to fix all the problems."