US Heritage Foundation thinktank staff quit amid antisemitism controversy

By Andrew Hay

Dec 22 (Reuters) – Over a dozen employees have left jobs at the Heritage Foundation or were fired in recent days, according to the influential right-wing U.S. thinktank, as it grapples with allegations from former supporters that it has aligned itself with those accused of antisemitism.

In a statement about the resignations and firings on Monday, Heritage Foundation Chief Advancement Officer Andy Olivastro said a handful of staff had chosen “disruption” and “disloyalty.”

He said the think tank “has always welcomed debate, but alignment on mission and loyalty to the institution are non-negotiable.”

The foundation has been caught in a firestorm of accusations and counter-accusations that began when former Fox News host Tucker Carlson interviewed Nick Fuentes, a self-described Christian nationalist, in October. The interview focused on their mutual opposition to U.S. support of Israel, a view at odds with that of many conservatives.

Some supporters of the foundation have said it should distance itself from Carlson, characterizing the journalist’s views as antisemitic. But Kevin Roberts, the foundation president, has continued to personally back Carlson, who he says is a friend. Carlson strongly rejects accusations of antisemitism.

One of those who resigned this week was Josh Blackman, a law professor who contributed to Project 2025, a right-wing policy initiative overseen by the Heritage Foundation. In a letter posted online, he blamed Roberts for making Heritage’s brand “toxic.” 

“You aligned the Heritage Foundation with the rising tide of antisemitism on the right,” said Blackman, who edited the group’s Guide to the Constitution publication.

In an October 30 video defending Carlson, Roberts said a “venomous coalition” was attacking the prominent podcaster over his interview with Fuentes. Roberts said conservatives should feel no obligation to support any foreign government no matter how great the pressure from “the globalist class.”

He later apologized for his use of the term “venomous coalition,” which he said Jewish colleagues understood to be an antisemitic trope.

Speaking at a November staff townhall meeting, Roberts said his intention was not to endorse Fuentes, who he called “an evil person,” but to “convert” some of his audience of several million people.

Advancing American Freedom said on Monday the three former leaders of Heritage’s legal, economic and data teams had joined the conservative advocacy group, along with 10 of their staff. The group led by former Vice President Mike Pence is critical of U.S. President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.

Three Heritage Foundation board trustees have also resigned since November.

Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor, a conservative jurist who contributed to Heritage’s 800-page Guide to the Constitution, said in an interview he did not attend a promotional event for the book due to Roberts’ “totally inappropriate” language in the October 30 video.

For some remaining Heritage employees, recent staff departures were driven by Republican Party jockeying rather than antisemitism or Israel.

“These resignations have a lot more to do with 2028 than it does with anything else,” Heritage fellow Robby Starbuck posted online. “One group wants a return to the Pence/Ryan GOP and the rest want to MAGA with @KevinRobertsTX.”

(Reporting by Andrew Hay, additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Stephen Coates)