Russell Vought, a co-author of Project 2025 and former Donald Trump staffer, informed undercover reporters last month that the Heritage Foundation-led initiative is pursuing a pornography ban through age verification legislation, described as a "back door" approach. This strategy aims to make pornography websites legally liable for minor usage, with Vought expressing that such laws lead pornography companies to cease operations.

Project 2025's Strategy for Pornography Restriction

Vought, an influential figure connected to both Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation, revealed details of Project 2025's evolving tactics during a conversation with two reporters posing as relatives of a wealthy right-wing donor. Portions of this hidden-camera video were published by CNN and the U.K.-based Centre for Climate Reporting on Thursday. The discussion centered on Project 2025's proposal to criminalize the production and distribution of adult content.

According to CNN, Vought stated that instead of an "unpopular new law banning all pornography," his organization, the Center for Renewing America (CRA), would propose "doing it from the back door." This method involves "making pornography websites legally liable if minors use them." Vought indicated that age verification laws would result in pornography companies stopping business. The Center for Renewing America, a MAGA think tank, was founded in 2021 by former Trump staffers with the stated goal of facilitating his return to the White House in 2025.

The Intercept reported that Vought, a former top Trump administration official, discussed pornography bans in the secretly recorded video from late July. He was speaking with two individuals he believed were potential donors to the Center for Renewing America. For the past three years, Vought and the CRA have advocated for laws requiring porn websites to verify visitors' ages to protect children. Many states have enacted or considered these age verification laws, with several modeled on CRA proposals. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a challenge to Texas's version, which took effect last September and drew from the CRA's model legislation. Vought stated, "We came up with an idea on pornography to make it so that the porn companies bear the liability for the underage use, as opposed to the person who visit."

Conservative Voices on Pornography

Adam Candeub, a Michigan State University law professor and senior fellow at the CRA, addressed the National Conservatism Conference last month. Candeub advised American conservatives to "avoid porn altogether," reportedly telling a panel audience, "Bad men, bad male libido."

Separately, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), described as a top Trump ally, introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA). This bill aims to criminalize all pornography by expanding the definition of "obscenity," a category of speech not fully protected by the First Amendment. Under Lee's proposed bill, "a picture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or other visual depiction," or any media that "appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion," would be criminal. The bill primarily targets creators and distributors of such content.

Vought's Broader Policy Views and Trump Campaign's Stance

CNN reported that Vought spoke candidly for nearly two hours, detailing his "behind-the-scenes work to prepare policy for former President Donald Trump," his views on presidential power, and his plans to restrict pornography and immigration. He also expressed complaints that the GOP focused too much on "religious liberty" instead of "Christian nation-ism." Vought claimed his Center for Renewing America is "secretly drafting hundreds of executive orders, regulations, and memos that would lay the groundwork for rapid action on Trump’s plans if he wins," describing his work as creating "shadow" agencies. Vought also stated that Trump has "blessed" the CRA and is "very supportive of what we do."

Rachel Cauley, a spokesperson for the CRA, told CNN, "Thank you for airing our perfect conversation emphasizing our policy work is totally separate from the Trump campaign, as we have been saying." Last month, the Trump campaign issued a statement attempting to distance itself from Project 2025. Trump campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita stated, "President Trump’s campaign has been very clear for over a year that Project 2025 had nothing to do with the campaign, did not speak for the campaign, and should not be associated with the campaign or the President in any way." They added, "Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you."

The hidden-camera video complicated attempts by Trump and his campaign to distance themselves from Project 2025, as Vought recently "served as the policy director of the Republican National Convention committee that rewrote the GOP’s official platform this year," a task CNN described as "a sign of how central he is to Republicans’ policy goals." During the video, Vought also expressed that conservatives have "lacked the ability to argue we are a Christian nation" and should "push to have debates over whether to allow mosques to be built in America’s downtowns, and whether Christian immigrants should be prioritized over those of other faiths." Vought stressed, "I want to make sure that we can say we are a Christian nation," adding, "And my viewpoint is mostly that I would probably be Christian nation-ism. That’s pretty close to Christian nationalism because I also believe in nationalism." According to CNN, Vought "argued that it was important to pursue some of the culturally conservative policy goals listed in the Project 2025 blueprint — including abortion restrictions and making pornography illegal."

Key Facts

  • Russell Vought, a Project 2025 co-author and former Trump staffer, discussed a "back door" strategy to ban pornography through age verification laws.
  • This strategy involves making pornography websites legally liable for minor usage, which Vought believes will lead companies to cease operations.
  • The Center for Renewing America (CRA), founded by former Trump staffers, aims to help Donald Trump return to the White House in 2025.
  • Michigan State University law professor Adam Candeub, a CRA senior fellow, advocated that American conservatives "should avoid porn altogether."
  • Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), a bill that would expand the definition of obscenity to criminalize pornography.
  • The Trump campaign has issued statements attempting to distance itself from Project 2025.