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We told you in a "Behind the Curtain" column last month that Trump allies are pre-screening the ideologies of thousands of potential appointees and employees in case he wins back the White House. Now we have copies of the exact questionnaires Trump allies are using — and that then-President Trump used himself during his final days in office.

Why it matters: These future Trumpers would staff an unprecedented effort to centralize and expand presidential power at every level of the administration.

Trump insiders are planning a far more targeted and sophisticated sequel to his haphazard first term, when internal feuding deterred policy wins or permanent changes to government.

The 2020 questionnaire — paired with the application the Heritage Foundation is currently collecting from job prospects for a future administration — points to a top-down government-in-waiting that would be driven more by ideology than by policy expertise or innovation.

Trump, the overwhelming favorite for the Republican nomination, is being explicit about his plans for retribution and disruption if he wins the 2024 election. So how he would staff his government is of immense consequence.

Driving the news: The 2020 "Research Questionnaire," which we obtained from a Trump administration alumnus, was used in the administration's final days — when most moderates and establishment figures had been fired or quit, and loyalists were flexing their muscles. Questions include:

"What part of Candidate Trump's campaign message most appealed to you and why?"

"Briefly describe your political evolution. What thinkers, authors, books, or political leaders influenced you and led you to your current beliefs? What political commentator, thinker or politician best reflects your views?"

"Have you ever appeared in the media to comment on Candidate Trump, President Trump or other personnel or policies of the Trump Administration?"

The big picture: Similar questions are being asked for the Talent Database being assembled by the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 — the most sophisticated, expensive pre-transition planning ever undertaken for either party: 

"Name one person, past or present, who has most influenced the development of your political philosophy."

"Name a book that has most significantly shaped your political philosophy, and please explain its influence on your thinking."

"Name one living public policy figure whom you greatly admire and why."

Between the lines: An alumnus of the Trump White House told us both documents are designed to test the sincerity of someone's MAGA credentials and determine "when you got red-pilled," or became a true believer.

"They want to see that you're listening to Tucker, and not pointing to the Reagan revolution or any George W. Bush stuff," this person said.

See for yourself: As an exclusive for Axios readers, at the bottom of this story you can read both the Trump questionnaire and 2025 application in full.

Both documents are striking for their emphasis on what you believe rather than your credentials or accomplishments.

They reflect a vision for a centralized administration where people throughout the administration would pick up the phone and say: "Yes, sir."

Details: The Heritage Foundation told us Project 2025 officials have collected more than 5,000 applications — months before a Republican nominee is locked in.

Heritage president Kevin Roberts said recently that Project 2025's mission is to get the next conservative president "ready to govern in the most aggressive, ambitious, audacious way to destroy the Deep State and devolve power back to the individual Americans."

The groundwork by Heritage, which is nonpartisan in its tax designation, is technically available to any future conservative nominee. We're told Project 2025 officials have briefed the Republican campaigns of Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Halley and Vivek Ramaswamy — and even the independent campaign of Robert Kennedy Jr.

But the presence of Johnny McEntee, former director of Trump's White House Presidential Personnel Office, as a senior adviser to Project 2025 reflects the Trump-centric planning.

Behind the scenes: We hear Trump has been irritated by all the attention Heritage and other outside allies have gotten for the prefab administration that's being assembled.

The Trump campaign's top two officials, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, issued a statement in mid-November saying that "none of these groups or individuals speak for President Trump or his campaign. We will have an official transition effort to be announced at a later date."

"Unless a second term priority is articulated by President Trump himself, or is officially communicated by the campaign," they added, "it is not authorized in any way."

Go deeper: Trump allies pre-screen loyalists for unprecedented power grab

"Behind the Curtain" is a column by Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and co-founder Mike Allen, based on regular conversations with White House and congressional leaders, CEOs and top technologists.

Presidential Personnel Office questionnaire

Project 2025 Questionnaire 1

Trump allies pre-screen loyalists for unprecedented power grab

Behind the Curtain — Scoop: The Trump job applications revealed

Trump insiders are planning a far more targeted and sophisticated sequel to his haphazard first term.

Illustration of a curtain with a tassel in the shape of the Axios logo

Donald Trump campaign

Column / Behind the Curtain

Donald Trump

2024 Elections

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Former President Trump will hold a closed-door fund-raiser in Hallandale Beach, Florida, when the fourth Republican presidential debate takes place next week.

The big picture: Trump has been touting in fund-raising emails a "VIP contest" to win tickets to the "end-of-year reception" near Miami on Wednesday as the GOP presidential front-runner's 2024 rivals, including former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, take to the stage for the debate.

Trump's campaign has called on the Republican National Committee to cancel future debates, urging the RNC to instead "refocus its manpower" on beating President Biden in 2024.

Of note: The RNC has tightened its rules for appearing at the debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, requiring participants to have a minimum of 80,000 unique donors "with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory in 20+ states and/or territories."

They must also poll at least 6% in two national polls or 6% in one national poll and 6% in one early state poll from two separate "carve out" states.

Trump to host Florida fund-raiser as GOP holds presidential debate

Trump has been touting in fund-raising emails a "VIP contest" to win tickets to the "end-of-year reception" near Miami.

Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a campaign rally at Trendsetter Engineering Inc. on November 02, 2023 in Houston, Texas. 

Republican presidential candidate former President Trump looks on during a campaign rally in Houston, Texas, earlier this month. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A New York appeals court on Thursday reinstated a limited gag order on former President Trump in his ongoing civil fraud trial, according to a court filing.

Why it matters: Trump has already been fined twice for violations of the limited gag order, which he was seeking to have thrown out.

State of play: New York Judge Arthur Engoron issued the limited order in October after the former president made a post on his Truth Social account about the judge's law clerk. 

The order bars Trump and his attorneys from disparaging court staff.

The New York appeals court earlier this month temporarily halted the gag order at the former president's request. He then proceeded to attack Engoron and the clerk on Truth Social. 

Zoom in: Court officials in a filing last week said that following Trump's social media post, "threats, harassment and disparaging comments increased exponentially" against Engoron and his law clerk. 

Lawyers for Trump argued in a subsequent filing that any threats received do not justify the order. 

The big picture: Trump also faces a gag order in his federal 2020 election subversion case.

That order is currently on pause as a panel of federal judges weighs its merit. 

What to watch: The former president is expected to take the stand next month as the final witness in the trial. 

At stake in the ongoing trial are possible steep financial penalties against Trump and his family's business empire. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a $250 million lawsuit against Trump, his two eldest sons and his business last fall, alleging years of financial fraud. 

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.

Appeals court reinstates gag order on Trump in N.Y. civil fraud trial

The former president is scheduled to take the stand next month as the final witness in the trial.

Former President Donald Trump arrives arrives to testify in his civil fraud case at the State Supreme Court of New York on Monday, Nov. 06, 2023, in New York, NY.

Former President Trump arrives arrives to testify in his civil fraud case at the State Supreme Court of New York on Nov. 6. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Former President Trump's MAGA flock now has its own shopping platform, where like-minded conservatives can snub what they see as "leftist" businesses and buy things  "from people who respect life, family and freedom."

Why it matters: The platform — dubbed PublicSquare and backed by investors including Donald Trump Jr. and his fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle — is part of a growing crop of companies riding a backlash to what some conservatives see as corporations and retailers that promote overly progressive social agendas.

Zoom in: PublicSquare says it doesn't endorse political candidates, but its most prominent supporters, its products and its mission statement can seem like they just stepped out of a Trump rally.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.), both Trump loyalists, have begun promoting the site in town hall-type events.

On Wednesday, featured items on the site included Christmas decorations, boxes for storing firearms, and goods from a coffee company called COVFEFE, named after an odd late-night tweet by Donald Trump in 2017.

Among COVFEFE's offerings: "Drain the Swamp Medium Roast" and "MAGA Dark Roast."

PublicSquare's mission statement hints at the frequent tensions between the former president and his allies on one side, and Trump critics and fact-checkers on the other:

"We will NEVER deem or label an opinion, thought or fact as "misinformation," it says. "We are a technology company, not the arbiters of truth."

What they're saying: "This is very much a forgotten man and woman working-class concept — giving a voice to small business in general ... while also giving conservatives a place where they feel good about actually spending their money" Trump Jr. tells Axios.

He posted tweets promoting PublicSquare on X on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, has recorded a promo video for the company, and is appearing at Public Sqr.'s town halls. 

Between the lines: PublicSquare CEO Michael Seifert tells Axios his target audience is tens of millions of Americans "who don't feel celebrated in our marketplace, and feel ostracized."

The platform, launched in July 2022, now claims to host about 71,000 small businesses and has a customer base of 1.6 million, according its latest SEC filings. The company also says it's on track to turn a profit next year.

Its board includes former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Blake Masters, an Arizona Republican who lost a bid for Senate last year and is running for a House seat in 2024, and Nick Ayers,  a former top aide to then-Vice President Mike Pence.

PublicSquare says it's gotten a boost each time conservatives have launched social media-driven boycotts of prominent companies because of the companies' diversity and inclusion efforts.

Those episodes include Bud Light's partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, and Target's Pride Month merchandise.

The big picture: Many of the more popular products sold on PublicSquare tap into conservative Republicans' social agenda:

Everylife Diapers, advertised as the product of the seller's partnership with pro-life organizations, are pitched as alternatives to Huggies.

Faith Friends Dolls are touted as a "Christian alternative" to 18-inch American Girl dolls that don't "indoctrinate your children with harmful gender ideology" or "in appropriate style."

Rifle-adorned onesies and hair scrunchies with pistol patterns are sold by a brand called "Moms Who Carry."

The bottom line: Conservative-driven e-commerce "is just scratching the surface," says Omeed Malik, CEO of Colombier Acquisition Corp., which earlier this year agreed to merge with PublicSquare.

"I don't want to boycott," Malik said. "I want to give people choices, so they don't go back to places like Target."

Trumpworld gets behind a MAGA-friendly shopping site

It's part of a growing crop of companies riding a backlash to what some conservatives see as corporations and retailers that promote progressive social agendas.

Photo illustration of a hand cursor with a MAGA hat resting on the index finger.

Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Oliver Contreras/Pool/Getty Images

Donald Trump supporters

Former President Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social that the charges issued against him have opened a "Pandora's box."

Why it matters: Trump warned that the charges should be dropped "before it is too late," suggesting he could use the Department of Justice if elected in retaliatory ways.

Trump on Wednesday said President Biden should urge prosecutors to stop the proceedings "before it is too late for him and the rest of the Country," per the Truth Social post.

"To ALL Democrats, be careful what you wish for," Trump wrote.

The big picture: Trump has repeatedly derided the legal cases against him as politically motivated and has seized on them as part of his campaign for a second presidential term. 

The former president and GOP frontrunner has sought to delay many of the trial proceedings until after the 2024 election, to potentially avoid penalties.

Zoom in: Trump's immediate focuses if elected are likely to be the Department of Justice, FBI and intelligence community, Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported from the former president's own words and his insiders.

He'd be willing to use these agencies against his political enemies, who he feels have unfairly investigated and targeted him, per the insiders and his statements.

The former president said in June that he would "appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family," the New York Times reported. 

Between the lines: Trump, whose court calendar has overlapped with his presidential campaign, also wrote Wednesday that he has been "forced to campaign from inside a courthouse."

Trump voluntarily turned up at the Manhattan courthouse for his ongoing New York civil fraud trial on multiple occasions.

Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: Trump allies pre-screen loyalists for unprecedented power grab

Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported

Behind the Curtain: Trump allies pre-screen loyalists for unprecedented power grab

Trump says charges against him opened "Pandora's box"

The former president has sought to delay the trial proceedings until after the 2024 presidential election.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks across the field during halftime in the Palmetto Bowl between Clemson and South Carolina at Williams Brice Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. 

Former President Trump walks across the field during halftime in the Palmetto Bowl at Williams Brice Stadium on Nov. 25 in Columbia, South Carolina. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Lawyers for former President Trump argued in a filing on Monday that the gag order on him in the New York civil fraud trial should remain on hold.

Driving the news: Trump's team said that the orders "shield" the judge overseeing the case and his law clerk from "the precise scrutiny essential to maintaining public confidence in the judiciary and ensuring a fair trial."

Trump's team argued that any threats against the judge overseeing the trial and the clerk do not warrant the gag order.  

State of play: Court officials last week wrote in a filing that "threats, harassment and disparaging comments increased exponentially" after Trump made a post on social media about Judge Arthur Engoron's principle law clerk, Allison Greenfield. 

The threats, which targeted both Engoron and Greenfield, "are considered to be serious and credible and not hypothetical or speculative," per the filing.

What they're saying: Trump's attorneys wrote in the Monday filing that the "disturbing behavior engaged in by anonymous, third-party actors towards the judge and Principal Law Clerk ... merits appropriate security measures."

The filing argued that the behavior of others doesn't justify revoking Trump's First Amendment rights, which the judge's "partisan bias" has compromised.

"However, it does not justify the wholesale abrogation of Petitioners' First Amendment rights in a proceeding of immense stakes to Petitioners, which has been compromised by the introduction of partisan bias on the bench."

Zoom in: Engoron issued the gag order last month after Trump's post on his Truth Social account about Greenfield. The former president has been fined twice over violations of the gag order. 

A New York appeals court earlier this month temporarily halted the gag order on Trump and his legal team in the ongoing trial.

What's next: Defense attorney Christopher Kise said Monday that Trump is likely to testify on Dec. 11 as the final witness in the ongoing trial, ABC News reports.

Trump's son, Eric Trump, is also set to return to the witness stand on Dec. 6. Eric Trump and the former president himself have both previously been called to testify by the New York attorney general's office. 

Go deeper: Trump's unusual New York campout 

Trump disputes need for gag order in NY civil fraud trial

Defense attorney Chris Kise said Monday that his team plans to call Trump to testify on Dec. 11.

Former President Donald Trump gives remarks at the South Texas International airport on November 19, 2023 in Edinburg, Texas. 

Former President Trump gives remarks at the South Texas International airport on Nov. 19 in Edinburg, Texas. Photo: Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan have signed a deal for the definitive book about Donald Trump's final act in public life — whatever that final act is.

Why it matters: The two have owned the Trump beat for years, with deep, wide sources in his orbit and throughout the Republican Party he has transformed.

Simon and Schuster won a furious competition for the deeply reported book by the two New York Times political correspondents. 

The publication date depends on what happens in 2024 — it'll be 2025 at the earliest.

Haberman wrote the international bestseller "Confidence Man" about the former president. Swan won an Emmy for his captivating "Axios on HBO" interview with Trump in 2020. 

What we're hearing: The duo's untitled Trump project aims to be more enduring than a campaign book — with plenty of juicy inside-the-room detail, but also the larger story of this singular figure in global affairs and public life for the past decade. 

And, of course, it'll likely be part courtroom drama.

Between the lines: The two will continue their scoopy coverage — including their series, with Times colleague Charlie Savage, about the stakes of a Trump return to power — until they begin work on the book. 

Refuting a misperception on social media, The Times said Haberman kept editors apprised of news she was learning for "Confidence Man." 

Sources familiar with the project tell Axios the country is part of the story — as are Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Rupert Murdoch and a host of other cinematic figures.

One arc of the narrative is the collision of forces that produced Trump's comeback after Jan. 6: He was written off as politically dead. Now he's the likely Republican presidential nominee — which would give him at least a 50-50 chance of returning to the Oval Office.

Haberman was represented by Matt Latimer of Javelin. Swan was represented by Pilar Queen at UTA.

Scoop: Haberman, Swan sign deal for Trump book

The two have owned the Trump beat for years, with deep, wide sources in his orbit and throughout the Republican Party he has transformed.

Swan and Haberman on "Inside Politics Sunday" in October. Screenshot: CNN

Sneak Peek

Axios Sneak Peek

Former President Trump revealed that he's "seriously looking at alternatives" to the Affordable Care Act, calling the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare during his administration "a low point for the Republican Party."

Why it matters: Ahead of last year's midterms, Republicans effectively gave up on campaigning to kill the ACA — acknowledging that the program was popular and fully embedded in the U.S. health care system.

Flashback: Despite having full control of the White House and Congress, Republicans' long-running efforts to repeal and replace the ACA were defeated in 2017 when Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered his famous thumbs-down vote on the Senate floor.

Democrats went on to make health care a defining issue of the 2018 midterms, powering a "blue wave" election in which the party decisively won back the House majority.

Republicans — including the current presidential field — have since had little to say about the Affordable Care Act or major health care reforms, even as the cost of care continues to rise.

What they're saying: "The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it's not good Healthcare," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Saturday.

"We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it. It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!"

Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa drew attention to Trump's comments on X, suggesting Democrats would be happy to make relitigating the ACA an issue in the 2024 election.

Trump says he's "seriously looking" at Obamacare alternatives

Trump called the failure to repeal and replace the ACA "a low point for the Republican Party."

Trump waves to the crowd  during halftime in the Palmetto Bowl between Clemson and South Carolina on Saturday. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Affordable Care Act

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Former President Trump took to Truth Social at 2:03am ET on Thanksgiving to attack people involved in the fraud case that threatens his real estate empire, along with his political opponents.

Why it matters: The early-morning diatribe is hardly a traditional Thanksgiving message, but it is classic Trump — and it comes as court officials argue that a gag order restricting just these sorts of posts relating to the $250 million New York civil fraud trial should be reinstated.

What he's saying: In a post beginning "Happy Thanksgiving to ALL," Trump called:

Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the civil fraud charges against Trump and other Trump Organization executives, "racist and incompetent;"

Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the trial, a "Psycho" who had purposely undervalued his assets, and;

Engoron's legal clerk, whom Trump has repeatedly attacked during the trial, "Politically Biased and Corrupt." 

Trump also went after "Crooked Joe Biden," the "Radical Left," "RINOS" and more, before vowing to win the 2024 election.

Driving the news: A New York appeals court last week paused a gag order Engoron had imposed on Trump after the former president began posting attacks against the law clerk.

Trump was fined twice under the order for a combined $15,000.

Once able to comment freely, Trump quickly resumed knocking the clerk and the proceedings more generally. 

The appeals process around the gag order is ongoing. N.Y. court officials argued in favor of reinstating the order on Wednesday, citing threats against Engoron and the clerk after Trump's posts.

Zoom out: Trump is also fighting a gag order in his federal election interference case.

The latest: Trump posted a video later on Thanksgiving morning with a more traditional message, thanking troops serving overseas and first responders at home.

Go deeper: What Trump stands to lose in his New York civil fraud trial

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Letitia James' title. She is the Attorney General of New York, not a district attorney. 

fraud case that threatens his real estate empire

 What Trump stands to lose in his New York civil fraud trial

Trump wishes "psycho" judge, "racist" attorney general a happy Thanksgiving

Trump's 2am post began with "Happy Thanksgiving," then turned nasty.

Trump speaks to the press after testifying in his civil fraud trial on Nov. 6. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Former President Trump's "overall health is excellent," his personal physician wrote in a letter Trump posted on his Truth Social account on Monday.

Why it matters: Trump, 77, has been cagey about releasing details about his physical health and has drawn scrutiny from some of his GOP presidential rivals and the Biden campaign over gaffes, Axios' Alex Thompson reports.

Questions about Trump and President Biden's, 81, ages and mental fitness have emerged as a concern among voters ahead of 2024, and polling shows that most voters would prefer alternatives if next year's election features a rematch of the two candidates.

Driving the news: Bruce Aronwald wrote in the letter dated Nov. 20 that he has been Trump's personal physician since 2021. 

He said that he has conducted "several comprehensive examinations," including the most recent one on Sept. 13. 

"[Trump's] physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional," Aronwald wrote.

The big picture: Trump, who has repeatedly hit Biden over his age, published his letter from his physician on the day of Biden's 81st birthday.

The Biden campaign and Republican candidates have criticized Trump over recent blunders on the trail, including when he told a crowd in Sioux City, Iowa, that he was happy to be in "Sioux Falls," which is in South Dakota.

Aronwald wrote in the letter that Trump "is currently in excellent health, and with his continued interest in preventative health monitoring and maintenance, he will continue to enjoy a healthy lifestyle for years to come."

Go deeper: Trump has his own age problem as he mocks 80-year-old Biden's fitness

Trump has his own age problem as he mocks 80-year-old Biden's fitness

Trump's doctor says he's in "excellent" health

Bruce Aronwald wrote in the letter dated Nov. 20 that he has been Trump's personal physician since 2021.

Former President Trump, if elected, would build a Cabinet and White House staff based mainly on two imperatives: pre-vetted loyalty to him and a commitment to stretch legal and governance boundaries, sources who talk often with the leading GOP presidential candidate tell Axios.

Why it matters: Trump would fill the most powerful jobs in government with men like Stephen Miller, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio and Kash Patel — with the possible return of Steve Bannon. If Trump won in 2024, he'd turn to loyalists who share his zeal to punish critics, purge non-believers, and take controversial legal and military action, the sources tell us.

Trump and his prospective top officials don't mince words about their plans:

They want to target and jail critics, including government officials and journalists; deport undocumented immigrants or put them in detainment camps, and unleash the military to target drug cartels in Mexico, or possibly crack down on criminals or protesters at home. 

They want to scrap rules that limit their ability to purge government workers deemed disloyal. 

What's happening: Trump hasn't settled on specific roles for specific figures, and hates it when his staff and friends speculate otherwise. It's not in his DNA to do detailed personnel planning, and a lot depends on the last few people he's talked to. 

Behind the Curtain — Exclusive: How Trump would build his loyalty-first Cabinet

Trump would turn to loyalists who share his zeal to punish critics, purge non-believers, and take controversial legal and military action.

All Donald Trump stories