Heritage's giant footprint

The Heritage Foundation has an annual budget of about a hundred million dollars and more than four hundred million in reserves. Its properties take up an entire city block on the Senate side of the Capitol.

Roberts takes the helm

Kevin Roberts became Heritage's president five years ago, eager to adopt an aggressive posture. He is tall and bald, drives a black diesel pickup, and wears cowboy boots to formal functions.

The generational divide

Young right-wing activists deride their elders as Reagan Zombies and BoomerCons. They reject forever wars and free trade, demanding mass deportations and economic nationalism instead of corporate tax cuts.

The appeal of outsiders

Young conservatives follow Tucker Carlson or Nick Fuentes, the young white nationalist who mocks women and calls Hitler cool. Roberts acknowledged their appeal was a reaction to perceived institutional inauthenticity.

Roberts's civilizational mission

Roberts told me: This is a civilizational moment for this republic. Whatever battles exist out there, whether they're political battles, ideological battles, God forbid more real battles, let them be in my lifetime.

“This is a civilizational moment for this republic. Whatever battles exist out there, whether they're political battles, ideological battles, God forbid, more real battles, let them be in my lifetime, right now, so my kids don't have to fight them.”

Heritage's founding consensus

Heritage was founded in the nineteen-seventies. By the two-thousand to twenty-twelve era, there was consensus on what principled conservatism stood for: limited government, free enterprise, individual freedom, traditional values, and strong national defense.

Kay Coles James's tenure

Kay Coles James took over Heritage in twenty eighteen but was an uninspiring fund-raiser. During the twenty twenty protests, she called racism a fatal wound in America's history. Tucker Carlson helped lead a push for her ouster.

Roberts's populist credentials

Roberts had been president of a Catholic college in Wyoming and head of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. As a young man in Louisiana, he organized a rally for Pat Buchanan, the nationalist Presidential candidate.

Roberts courts the New Right

At a National Conservatism conference, Roberts declared: I come not to invite National Conservatives to join our conservative movement but to acknowledge the plain truth, that Heritage is already part of yours.

“I come not to invite National Conservatives to join our conservative movement but to acknowledge the plain truth, that Heritage is already part of yours.”

Project twenty twenty-five

Roberts envisioned Project twenty twenty-five to unite the conservative movement. More than a hundred organizations contributed. The plan grew to include a database of prospective hires and some nine hundred pages of policy proposals.

Project twenty twenty-five backfires

Roberts aggressively advertised Heritage's influence, saying it was institutionalizing Trumpism. Democrats made Project twenty twenty-five a campaign pitch. Trump distanced himself, claiming: I know nothing about Project twenty twenty-five.

“I know nothing about Project 2025.”

Heritage marginalized after Trump's return

After Trump was reelected, Heritage found itself in a difficult position because of Project twenty twenty-five and because Roberts had supported Ron DeSantis early in the Presidential primary. Heritage seemed marginalized from the new Administration.

The Carlson-Fuentes controversy

In October, Carlson invited Fuentes to his home in Maine. They recorded a podcast episode in Carlson's barn, and afterward posed for a photo with Carlson's arm draped paternally around Fuentes's shoulder. The backlash was immediate.

Roberts's controversial video

Roberts recorded a video saying Christians can critique Israel without being antisemitic. He defended Carlson against what he called a venomous coalition sowing division. He said cancelling Fuentes is not the answer.

“I want to be clear about one thing: Christians can critique the State of Israel without being antisemitic.”

Neuhaus takes the fall

Ryan Neuhaus, Roberts's chief of staff, reportedly got Roberts riled up after the Fuentes interview and wrote a draft statement without approval. Roberts called Neuhaus and confronted him. Within days, Neuhaus had resigned.

Heritage staff exodus

John Malcolm, head of Heritage's legal center, and Richard Stern, head of the econ office, left along with fourteen others. They arranged new jobs at Advancing American Freedom, founded by former Vice-President Mike Pence after January sixth.

Pence's think tank gains strength

In December twenty twenty-five alone, Advancing American Freedom raised fifteen million dollars to hire unhappy Heritage staffers. Tim Chapman, the former Heritage Action leader, is now the president of A.A.F.

Roberts consolidates power

Despite the crisis, Roberts consolidated his power. This spring and summer, Heritage announced big hires. In May the board gained four new members, all allies of Roberts: Hazony, two businessmen, and Mollie Hemingway.

Roberts's antisemitism commitment

Roberts told me there is a very troubling rise of antisemitism on the right. He intends to make sure Heritage continues to be a vital institutional player in that work against antisemitism. When asked if Carlson exacerbates it, he said yes.

Heritage's weakened but surviving

The consensus in Washington is that Heritage has been weakened by recent events. A former senior White House official dismissed its claims of influence as preposterous. Yet insiders argue the crisis consolidated Roberts's power to remake everything.