Heritage Foundation Faces Crisis as Internal Revolt Over Antisemitism Unfolds

By Newsmax Wires | Monday, 10 November 2025 06:18 PM EST

Former Rep. Pete King has demanded Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts resign immediately, condemning the organization’s failure to denounce antisemitic rhetoric promoted by Tucker Carlson. “I definitely think he should resign,” King, a former Republican lawmaker from New York, told Newsmax. He asserted, “There is no room in the political arena for supporting or enabling any views that are pro-Hitler or antisemitic.”

In a recent Facebook post, King urged Republicans to “denounce and sever all connections with Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson,” labeling Fuentes as “a virulent racist and antisemite who admires Adolf Hitler” and Carlson as “an antisemite who argues that Winston Churchill, not Adolf Hitler, was responsible for World War II.” King criticized these views as “disgraceful, immoral, and ignorant,” stating, “There is no place in the Republican Party or President [Donald] Trump’s MAGA movement for these abhorrent views or anyone who espouses or enables them.” He called on Republicans to “purge all traces of racism and antisemitism.”

The controversy erupted after Roberts defended Carlson, describing him as a “close personal friend” despite the broadcaster’s history of antisemitic remarks. Carlson has claimed Jews “killed Jesus,” alleged Israel “controls” U.S. policy, and amplified conspiracy theories blaming Jews for 9/11. King argued that Roberts’ inaction disqualifies him from leading the conservative think tank, noting, “The America First movement was once discredited for tolerating Nazi sympathizers. We cannot let that happen again.”

Roberts later called his defense of Carlson a “mistake” but refused to denounce him outright. This silence triggered an internal revolt at Heritage, where employees demanded accountability during a tense two-hour town hall. Staff accused Roberts of “running cover for the most unhinged dregs of the far right,” with one scholar confronting him: “He adores Hitler and says he was a fin’ cool guy. Do we want him in the conservative movement?” Another staffer noted, “We, as an organization, have been unable to utter the words: Tucker Carlson is an antisemite.”

Former Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, who resigned from Heritage’s Antisemitism Task Force, called Roberts’ actions “indefensible,” warning that the foundation’s failure to act could permanently damage its reputation. Senior fellows Stephen Moore and Chris DeMuth, along with nearly a dozen Jewish and Christian leaders tied to Heritage’s National Task Force Combating Antisemitism, have since left the organization. Morton Klein of the Zionist Organization of America reported donors cutting off support, predicting millions in lost funding, and urged Roberts to resign.

With donors fleeing, staff in revolt, and conservative leaders demanding accountability, the once-proud Heritage Foundation now faces a legitimacy crisis. Bachmann warned, “Unless the board acts swiftly, there may be nothing to save.”