Overview
- Kevin Roberts apologized in a leaked all-staff meeting for refusing to condemn Tucker Carlson after Carlson’s friendly interview with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, calling his earlier response a mistake.
- He retracted his “venomous coalition” phrasing as a terrible choice of words toward Jewish colleagues, said he had offered his resignation to the board, and later posted that he is staying.
- Staff challenged Roberts’ leadership in a tense town hall, with multiple senior fellows voicing no confidence and some urging a public break with Carlson or Roberts’ resignation.
- At least five members of Heritage’s antisemitism task force have resigned or withdrawn, the group’s chief of staff departed, and outside allies including task force board member Laurie Cardoza-Moore cut ties.
- Roberts said a former chief of staff drafted his initial video defending Carlson and that he “didn’t know much” about Fuentes, as the episode intensifies a wider Republican split over antisemitism and the mainstreaming of extremist voices.