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Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, faced intense internal criticism during a two-hour all-hands meeting on Wednesday, after defending Tucker Carlson’s interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, and branded those calling to 'cancel' Carlson, a "venomous coalition."
In what critics branded a "Jewish supremacist Israel First struggle session," Jewish staff members, activists and senior fellows like PragerU founder Dennis Prager, Amy Swearer, and Robert Rector, challenged Roberts’ leadership, demanded a clear public repudiation of Carlson, and expressed deep concern over the damage to the foundation’s credibility and relationships with Jewish partners and donors.
Roberts apologized for his "venomous coalition" comment, admitting he made a mistake and felt a moral obligation to stay and repair the damage, but refused to resign. He claimed the remark is "antisemitic" and a "terrible choice of words, especially for our Jewish colleagues and friends." He also revealed that Pro-Israel Jewish activist Yoram Hazony is "flying down" to Heritage Foundation, to "help" him "be better."
In an angry rant, Swearer, a senior legal fellow with eight years at Heritage, claimed that Roberts showed a "stunning lack of both courage and judgment" and that his defense was a "masterclass in cowardice."
Daniel Flesch, a Jewish staffer overseeing Project Esther, said the foundation had been unable to publicly condemn Carlson for six days, causing a loss of trust and reputation.
Rector, a 47-year veteran of Heritage, invoked William F. Buckley Jr., urging the expulsion of antisemites and "lunatics" from the conservative movement, angrily warning that Roberts’ stance was reversing the foundation’s historical principles.
Hans von Spakovsky, another senior figure, claimed that the foundation’s credibility could not be salvaged without a public break from Carlson.
The meeting revealed deep ideological and generational divides, including criticism from younger staff who questioned the foundation’s promotion of "Christian Zionism" and its prioritization of Israel; and Evan Myers who raised concerns about an invite to a Shabbat diner.
Myers, an adviser to Kevin Roberts’s office at the Heritage Foundation, expressed concern during the confidential all-staff meeting about the recommendation for interns and junior staff to attend Shabbat dinners as part of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. Attendance to the dinner was apparently demanded by Jewish supremacist and pro-Israel activist Bethany Madel.
He noted that for many Christians, Friday is a special day of prayer and abstinence to commemorate the death of Christ, and while he assumed attendance was not mandatory, he feared the dinners could serve as an informal litmus test.
Victoria Coates, a vice president at Heritage and co-chair of the task force, called Myers' question a "gross mischaracterization" and emphasized that the invitation was made in "generosity of spirit" and with the goal of fostering increased dialogue on antisemitism. She expressed that she was "deeply sorry" that Myers perceived the invitation as a personal attack, clarifying that it was not intended as such.
Roberts acknowledged the video defending Carlson was the result of a "short circuited" process and that he should have personally verified its content, though he maintained his stance on free speech and avoiding "cancel culture."
Some Jewish leaders and groups have since severed ties with Heritage Foundation. The Israel Innovation Fund announced it would withdraw from the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism due to Roberts’ continued defense of Carlson.
However conservative critics slammed Roberts online, for caving to Jewish supremacists who are more concerned about the interests of Israel than U.S. interests.