Why is Project 2025 trending? Link between FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who threatened Jimmy Kimmel, and the political initiative explored

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was abruptly taken off air as per an announcement by ABC on September 17, 2025. The decision arrived after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened the network as well as Kimmel over a monologue that he delivered regarding Charlie Kirk's assassination. Meanwhile, netizens have begun making references to Project 2025, while criticizing the decision.

For the unversed, Brendan Carr has been immensely connected to the conservative political initiative. While Donald Trump said during his campaign that he had distanced himself from the same, he reportedly incorporated many of its ideas into his ongoing administration.

One  X user recently tweeted,

"As of right now, nearly half of Project2025, the thing Trump swore he knew nothing about and about which MAGA claimed we were overreacting, has been accomplished."

Meanwhile, another one wrote on X, 

"Remember when we warned about project 2025 and yall said it wasn’t gonna happen? Welp."

The initiative began trending on social media after ABC decided to cancel Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show. Many believed that it was Carr's influence that forced the network to opt for the cancellation. For the unversed, Carr is the writer of one of the chapters present in this initiative.

It further was Donald Trump who chose Carr to be his chair of the FCC, in November 2024. By this time, Trump reportedly was aware of the fact that Carr was involved in the drafting of the Project 2025.

Exploring more about the Project 2025 and how Brendan Carr got associated with it

The Heritage Foundation published the Project 2025 in April 2023. According to The Independent, this initiative contained a bunch of controversial list of police ideas that Trump vowed to have not been a part of. Bloomberg reported that Nathan Leamer, a policy advisor to Ajit Pai, first approached Brendan Carr in September 2022.

Leamer then connected Carr to Wesley Coopersmith, the chief of staff to the president of the Heritage Foundation. Coopersmith reportedly sent documents related to the 1981 and 2016 editions of the Heritage Foundation’s plans, to Brendan Carr. A few days later, Carr reached out to Coopersmith and stated that he wanted to be a part of the Project 2025.

Later, many Democratic lawmakers urged to investigate Carr for alleged ethics violations. Recently, after the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live! shortly after Carr's reported threats, many Democrats began asking for his resignation. Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries even accused Carr of "bullying" ABC.

As far as the Project 2025 is concerned, it was focused on ways to reshape the federal government in a radical manner. According to an article by Katie Couric Media, one of the questionable sections of this initiative included its take on child labor.

The initiative believed that rules surrounding child labor should be more flexible, since many teenagers wanted to learn such skills. It also reportedly undermined the LGBTQ+ rights and believed that families that "comprised of a married mother, father, and their children" would be priority to the federal government.

From education to abortion laws, the initiative included some major changes for every category. With the recent cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel's show, many netizens have brought the focus back on this controversial political initiative.