The recent decision by Advancing American Freedom (AAF), an organization spearheaded by former Vice President Mike Pence, to recruit over a dozen former employees from the Heritage Foundation marks a pivotal moment within the conservative movement.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, AAF President Tim Chapman characterized this strategic acquisition of Heritage's legal, data, and economics centers as a "reorganization of the conservative movement." Chapman remarked, "People are voting with their feet as to where they feel they are best suited to be," highlighting the growing discontent within the Heritage Foundation.
This exodus is largely attributed to the fallout from a controversial video released by Heritage President Kevin Roberts in October, which targeted critics of podcast host Tucker Carlson, who had recently engaged in a congenial interview with neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes.
Among the new recruits to AAF are John Malcolm, previously the head of Heritage's Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, who will now lead the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law at AAF. Richard Stern, formerly in charge of Heritage's economics center, will spearhead the Plymouth Center for Free Enterprise at AAF.
Additionally, Kevin Dayaratna, who managed Heritage's data analysis center, will establish a similar program at AAF. In response to Malcolm's departure, Roberts announced that Cully Stimson would assume leadership of Heritage's legal center, with assistance from Hans von Spakovsky. However, both Stimson and von Spakovsky resigned shortly thereafter, as confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon.
The turmoil at Heritage is further underscored by the firing of Malcolm, who was dismissed for planning to resign without disclosing his future employment plans, as reported by National Review. AAF has indicated that more staff announcements are forthcoming. The release of Roberts's video has also prompted the resignation of three Heritage Foundation board members: Princeton University professor Robert George, Abby Moffat, and Shane McCullar.
McCullar criticized the think tank for its reluctance to denounce antisemitism and hatred, while George expressed disappointment over Roberts's inability to fully retract his video statement.
Over the past two months, several other Heritage scholars have also resigned. Josh Blackman, senior editor of the Heritage Guide to the Constitution, became the latest to step down, citing Roberts's "actions have made [his] continued affiliation with Heritage untenable." Blackman elaborated, "First, your comments were a huge unforced blunder, and gave aid and comfort to the rising tide of antisemitism on the right.
Second, in the wake of your remarks, jurists, scholars, and advocates have made clear to me they can no longer associate with the Heritage Guide they contributed to. Third, and perhaps most tragically, your actions have weakened the ability of the storied Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies to promote the rule of law."
Chris DeMuth, who led the American Enterprise Institute from 1986 to 2008 and joined Heritage in 2023, also resigned following the release of the Roberts video, though he did not provide a specific reason for his departure. Amy Swearer, another new addition to AAF, criticized Roberts's handling of the Carlson situation during an all-staff meeting, describing it as "a master class in cowardice that ran cover for the most unhinged dregs of the far right."
Chapman noted that the controversy surrounding the video prompted many Heritage employees who were already considering leaving to finalize their decisions.
Chapman explained, "We were approached by a lot of the leadership of the three different institutes three or four weeks ago, and they told us that they and their teams were already at the point where they were ready to leave the Heritage Foundation, but that Tucker Carlson stuff and Nick Fuentes stuff was sort of the straw that broke the camel's back." He added, "I think the infamous video really put everyone over the edge."
The video also led the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism to sever ties with Heritage before the mass migration to AAF. The group's chairman, Marc Short, emphasized the importance of bolstering support for Israel among young conservatives, stating,
"Being able to reach some of the Christian evangelical audiences with our nation's heritage and why we have a relationship with Israel, I think its important to [Pence] and will be important to our organization moving forward, too."
This reshuffling within the conservative landscape underscores the ongoing ideological battles and the shifting allegiances among key players. As AAF continues to expand its influence, the Heritage Foundation faces the challenge of redefining its role and addressing the concerns raised by its former members.
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