Paul Dans has stepped down as director of Project 2025, the conservative playbook for a potential second Donald Trump term, amid intense criticism, including from the former president.

       Dans’ departure was confirmed in a statement to CNN by Dr. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, the group that launched Project 2025. Before joining Heritage to lead the project, Dans served as a top official in Trump’s White House.

       “Under Paul Dans’ leadership, Project 2025 has completed exactly what it set out to do: bringing together over 110 leading conservative organizations to create a unified conservative vision, motivated to devolve power from the unelected administrative state, and returning it to the people,” Roberts said. “This tool was built for any future administration to use.”

       Launched to give the next Republican president a road map for their first 180 days in office, Project 2025’s conservative proposals provided ample criticism for Democrats to warn against a second Trump presidency. Trump himself has tried to distance himself from Heritage’s work, claiming on social media, “I have no idea who is behind it.”

       In a statement Tuesday, Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said, “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 continued, “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.”

       At least 140 people who worked in the Trump administration had a hand in the project, a CNN review found.

       President Joe Biden and now Vice President Kamala Harris have sought to highlight some of the policies that Project 2025 has put forward, viewing the platform as an enormous liability for Trump, and Democrats have launched a number of ads about the conservative agenda.

       This story has been updated with additional information.