The Heritage Foundation is in the midst of a public and internal reckoning, but it has nothing to do with their association with Project 2025. Multiple members of its National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism have resigned in protest after president Kevin Roberts defended Tucker Carlson following Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. The dispute highlights tensions between Heritage’s historical policy focus and its current embrace of partisan spectacle.
Roberts addressed the controversy in internal and public remarks, saying, “I made a mistake and I let you down and I let down this institution. Period. Full stop.” He added, “My use of the phrase ‘venomous coalition’ was a terrible choice of words — especially for our Jewish colleagues and friends.”
There has been speculation that @Heritage is distancing itself from @TuckerCarlson over the past 24 hours.
I want to put that to rest right now—here are my thoughts: pic.twitter.com/F8bcxBIqKI
— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) October 30, 2025
Resigning task-force member Mark Goldfeder criticized the leadership, writing, “Elevating him and then attacking those who object as somehow un‑American or disloyal … is a moral collapse disguised as courage.” His thoughts were echoed by several other now former Heritage Foundation staffers.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement also suspended Heritage’s membership in the task force, noting in a formal letter, “Your speech implicitly suggested … the Holocaust is an immutable historical event. It is worthy of study, not debate.”
For a think tank that once defined conservative policy rigor, the current turmoil underscores a stark choice: return to substantive policy work or fully embrace culture-war theatrics. Heritage’s decisions in the coming months may reshape not just the organization itself, but the broader landscape of conservative intellectual leadership.
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