As Trump’s 2024 campaign heated up, his allies used that scaffolding. Conservatives aligned with the Heritage Foundation held dozens of listening sessions with hundreds of experts and representatives from key industries, including health care, finance, energy and agriculture. The events were run like focus groups, with leaders helping coax participants to go beyond outlining routine policy wish lists to share more original and innovative ideas. The sessions led to policy recommendations, but, just as importantly, said one participant, served to knit together a network, with some of the experts now serving in the administration.