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The Heritage Foundation, one of the most influential conservative think tanks in Washington, is facing internal upheaval after its president defended former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for interviewing white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.
The controversy has triggered multiple resignations and sharp criticism from conservative figures, posing a major challenge for the organization that helped craft Project 2025, the sweeping policy blueprint for President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Roberts’ defense of Carlson
As Carlson drew backlash from conservatives for giving Fuentes a platform, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts came to his defense, rejecting speculation that the think tank was distancing itself from Carlson and condemning what he called a “venomous coalition” of critics.
“The Heritage Foundation didn’t become the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement by canceling our own people or policing the consciences of Christians, and we won’t start doing that now,” Roberts said in an Oct. 30 video statement.
“I disagree with and even abhor things that Nick Fuentes says,” he added, “but canceling him is not the answer either.”
Resignations and internal fallout
Roberts’ remarks quickly drew outrage within the organization. Over the following week, at least five members of Heritage’s antisemitism task force resigned in protest, CBS News reported.
Stephen Moore, a longtime economist at the think tank and co-founder of the Club for Growth, announced his resignation Thursday after 12 years, citing concerns about Roberts’ handling of the controversy, according to a source familiar with his decision.
Roberts’ chief of staff also stepped down after initially defending the comments on social media, accusing internal critics of “virtue signaling” and suggesting they resign “if so outraged.”
Fuentes’ extremist history
Fuentes, 27, rose to prominence in far-right circles following the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has espoused antisemitic, racist, and misogynistic views, claiming the Holocaust was “exaggerated,” that “a lot of women want to be raped,” and that White people are “justified” in being racist.
His supporters, who call themselves “groypers,” remain on the fringes of conservative politics. Fuentes attended a 2022 dinner at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort alongside rapper Kanye West. Last year, Vice President JD Vance publicly disavowed Fuentes after the commentator mocked his interracial marriage, calling Fuentes a “total loser” and saying his ideology “has no place in the MAGA movement.”
Growing conservative backlash
Roberts’ defense of Carlson was condemned by prominent conservatives, including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and commentator Ben Shapiro, who said the remarks “betray the legacy of Heritage.”
On Oct. 31, Roberts issued a clarification, writing that the Heritage Foundation “denounces Nick Fuentes’ vicious antisemitic ideology, his Holocaust denial, and his relentless conspiracy theories that echo the darkest chapters of history.”
He added that Heritage’s mission is to “confront and challenge those poisonous ideas at every turn” — but reiterated his opposition to “cancel culture” within the conservative movement.
Tense all-staff meeting and apology
According to video obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, Roberts faced heated criticism during an all-staff meeting Wednesday that lasted nearly two hours. Several employees called for his resignation and accused him of “a stunning lack of both courage and judgment.”
One staffer said the controversy had caused “enormous damage” to the institution’s reputation.
Roberts apologized during the meeting, saying he had made “a mistake” and taken responsibility for a video that was partially drafted by his now-former chief of staff.
“I made a mistake and I let you down and I let down this institution,” Roberts said. “And I am sorry for that. Period. Full stop.”
He also apologized for using the phrase “venomous coalition,” calling it “a terrible choice of words” and acknowledging it could be seen as an antisemitic trope.
Heritage’s broader challenge
The uproar comes at a pivotal moment for Heritage, which has played a central role in staffing and policy planning for Trump’s incoming administration through its Project 2025 initiative.
Political analysts say the turmoil raises questions about whether the think tank can maintain influence amid growing ideological divisions on the right.
“Heritage’s identity crisis mirrors the broader fracture within conservatism — between traditional policy conservatives and an increasingly online, grievance-driven populism,” said Matthew Continetti, a conservative historian and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
