More than a dozen officials at the conservative Heritage Foundation have reportedly left the organization that created Project 2025 to join former Vice President Mike Pence‘s think tank, Advancing American Freedom (AAF).
[Note: In November, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defended Tucker Carlson and his interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, which caused a split in the conservative movement, leading to massive backlash and the exit of Heritage chief of staff Ryan Neuhaus.]
Pence told The Wall Street Journal that the staffers — from the legal, economic and data teams — left because Heritage had “been willing to tolerate antisemitism” and “supported some tariffs.”
The eldest son of President Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr. responded to the news: “Personally, I think it’s great news for Heritage that a bunch of Trump-hating RINOs are leaving. Anyone who would want to go work for Mike Pence’s globalist never-Trump organization isn’t MAGA and definitely doesn’t put America First!”
Personally, I think it's great news for Heritage that a bunch of Trump-hating RINOs are leaving. Anyone who would want to go work for Mike Pence's globalist never-Trump organization isn't MAGA and definitely doesn't put America First! pic.twitter.com/hjQMiWZMAV
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 22, 2025
Tom Pappert of the conservative outlet The Tennessee Star replied to Trump, Jr.: “Pence and his group are obviously awful, but as a point of unity all Republicans should acknowledge that buying a house in Qatar and lecturing Americans about Islamophobia is not MAGA.”
[Note: In April, ahead of President Trump’s Middle East visit, his sons Don Jr. and Eric signed a multimillion-dollar deal for a new Trump golf course in Qatar, the rich Gulf nation that gifted the President a Boeing 747-8 luxury jetliner. This is in addition to the Trump Hotel planned for Dubai with $20 million units.]
Conservative journalist and influencer Jonah Goldberg also replied to Trump Jr: “So you’re saying Kevin Roberts had all of these ‘Trump-hating RINOs’ on the payroll for years and never noticed? Wow, he must not be a great think tank president…Then again, the fact that your father picked a ‘globalist never-Trump’ guy to be his vice president must be kind of embarrassing too.”
Resigning from the Heritage Foundation, editor Josh Blackman published a letter he sent to Roberts, in which he wrote: “Heritage came to a crashing halt after your infamous video. Your initial remarks were indefensible. Your apology was underwhelming. And the lack of any meaningful followup over the past three months has been telling.”
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