FactCheck.org Scores Top National Headliner Award for Exposing Project 2025’s Authoritarian Blueprint

FactCheck.org, the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s flagship fact-checking project, has won a prestigious National Headliner Award for its investigative series “How Project 2025 Has Unfolded Under Trump.” The series, penned by Eugene Kiely, a former director of FactCheck.org, meticulously tracks how Trump’s administration has put into motion the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for authoritarian governance, known as Project 2025.

Project 2025, crafted by veterans of Trump’s first term and far-right conservatives, outlines a radical plan to dismantle the federal workforce, politicize government agencies, and erode civil liberties. Despite Trump’s public claims during the 2024 campaign that he knew “nothing about Project 2025,” FactCheck.org’s reporting exposes how many of its proposals have already been implemented or adapted under his leadership.

This award marks the second consecutive year FactCheck.org has been honored by the National Headliner Awards, which have recognized journalistic excellence since 1934. In 2025, the outlet won for fact-checking Trump’s immigration claims during his presidential campaign. The latest series deepens the spotlight on the administration’s authoritarian agenda, providing clear, evidence-based analysis that cuts through misinformation.

Founded in 2003 by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Brooks Jackson, FactCheck.org has long been a trusted watchdog in the fight against political deception. This latest accolade reinforces the critical need for independent fact-checking as Trump’s team pushes to reshape the federal government in ways that threaten democratic norms and accountability.

In a political landscape rife with lies and power grabs, FactCheck.org’s award-winning work is a reminder: exposing the truth about authoritarian schemes like Project 2025 is essential to defending democracy. We’ll keep tracking these abuses and bringing the facts to light, no matter how deep the corruption runs.