MAGA rift: Heritage Foundation staff walk out after president defends Tucker Carlson interview with Nick Fuentes

More than a dozen employees have walked out of the Heritage Foundation, triggering one of the most serious internal crises in the organisation’s recent history. The departures follow mounting backlash against Heritage president Kevin Roberts after he defended a controversial interview by Tucker Carlson with far-right activist Nick Fuentes, a figure widely condemned for antisemitic views. The episode has laid bare deep fractures within the MAGA-aligned conservative movement over extremism, leadership and the movement’s future direction.

Defence of Tucker Carlson's interview sparks revolt

The turmoil began after Roberts publicly justified Carlson’s decision to interview Fuentes, arguing that engagement rather than ostracism was the appropriate response. Critics inside and outside Heritage accused the leadership of normalising extremist voices and failing to draw clear moral boundaries.


Roberts later issued multiple apologies, including in a video message on 6 November and in subsequent staff meetings, acknowledging that his response had caused harm. However, he did not formally sever institutional ties with Carlson. Instead, Roberts reiterated the foundation’s opposition to antisemitism while describing Carlson as a “close friend” in a personal capacity, a distinction that failed to calm internal dissent.

Walkouts, resignations and terminations

In a Sunday night email to staff, Roberts acknowledged that “most of our legal and economic centres” were departing immediately, adding that while the organisation wished them well, “the manner of their departures speaks volumes”. While many staff members resigned voluntarily, Heritage leadership has said that some employees were terminated for “conduct inconsistent with the organisation’s mission and standards”.

The exits included senior figures from Heritage’s legal scholarship, economic policy and data analysis teams, representing a significant loss of institutional expertise for a think tank that has long shaped conservative policy and judicial thinking.

Board members also step down

The staff exodus has been accompanied by resignations at board level. Three trustees have stepped down in protest, citing what they described as an inadequate response to antisemitism concerns and growing reputational damage to the organisation.

Departing figures have warned that Heritage’s standing within conservative legal and academic circles has been weakened, with judges and senior officials reportedly distancing themselves from Heritage events and programmes.

Pence-linked group absorbs defectors

Many of the departing staff have moved to Advancing American Freedom, a rival organisation founded by former vice president Mike Pence. The group has confirmed it raised $13 million to fund its expansion and announced the hiring of at least 13 former Heritage employees, including senior policy figures.

Advancing American Freedom has positioned itself around traditional conservative principles such as free markets, limited government and the rule of law, staking out territory that Heritage once dominated before the rise of Trump-era populism.

Heritage leadership has pushed back strongly against critics. Senior officials have framed the departures as an issue of loyalty, stressing that alignment with the organisation’s mission and adherence to leadership are non-negotiable.

In public statements and internal communications, Roberts has argued that Heritage remains open to debate but cannot function without unity, a stance that has further fuelled criticism from former staff who say dissent is no longer tolerated.

A wider MAGA identity crisis

The rupture at Heritage reflects a broader struggle within US conservatism over how closely institutions should align with the MAGA movement and how they should respond to extremist figures gaining mainstream visibility. Historically, think tanks like Heritage acted as gatekeepers, keeping fringe actors at arm’s length to protect electoral credibility.

As conservatives continue to debate the legacy of Donald Trump and the future direction of the movement, the walkout at Heritage stands as one of the clearest signs yet of a MAGA rift playing out inside one of the right’s most influential institutions.