Heritage Foundation Board Revolt Grows as Two More Trustees Resign Over Antisemitism Concerns

Two more trustees have resigned from the board of The Heritage Foundation, deepening a growing internal rupture at the influential conservative think tank over its response to antisemitism and its leadership�s handling of far-right extremism.

Shane McCullar and Abby Spencer Moffat stepped down Tuesday, issuing sharply worded statements that accused Heritage of moral drift, institutional cowardice, and a failure to confront antisemitism at a moment when clarity and leadership were required. Their departures follow the earlier resignation of Robert P. George, a Princeton professor and one of the conservative movement�s most prominent elder statesmen, marking a rare and public revolt within the organization�s upper ranks.

McCullar, who said he joined the board at the urging of Heritage co-founder Ed Feulner to advance the ideals of the American Founding, said the organization had forfeited the credibility that once made it �the world�s most respected conservative think tank.�

�No institution that hesitates to condemn antisemitism and hatred�or that gives a platform to those who spread them�can credibly claim to uphold the vision that once made the Heritage Foundation� what it was, McCullar wrote. He said he could not remain on a board �unwilling to confront the lapses in judgment that have harmed its credibility, its culture, and the conservative movement it once helped shape.�

Moffat, whose family has long-standing ties to Heritage, echoed those concerns, saying the organization�s handling of recent controversies revealed a departure from its core principles.

�When an institution hesitates to confront harmful ideas and allows lapses in judgment to stand, it forfeits the moral authority on which its influence depends,� she wrote, adding that she could not remain on a board �unwilling or unable to meet this moment with the clarity and courage it requires.�

The resignations stem from fallout over Heritage President Kevin Roberts�s response to a controversy earlier this fall, when Tucker Carlson conducted a friendly interview with Nick Fuentes, a well-known white nationalist and Holocaust denier. In response to criticism of Carlson, Roberts released a combative video defending the interview and attacking what he called a �venomous coalition� of critics. The video sparked backlash not only from liberals, but from conservatives across the ideological spectrum.

Roberts later apologized for parts of the video, but stopped short of a full retraction.

That partial walkback proved insufficient for George, who resigned from the board in November after concluding that Heritage�s leadership would not fully repudiate the episode. In a lengthy statement, George said the disagreement was not personal but moral, writing that the refusal to issue a complete retraction represented a fundamental break with the institution�s founding creed.

�The anchor for the Heritage Foundation, and for our Nation, and for every patriotic American is that creed,� George wrote, referring to the Declaration of Independence�s assertion of human equality. �If we abandon it, we sign the death certificate of republican government and ordered liberty.�

Heritage officials sought to project steadiness in response. Andy Olivastro, the foundation�s chief advancement officer, thanked McCullar and Moffat for their service and said the organization would continue advancing initiatives rooted in its �Four Cornerstones,� including national security and American heritage.

�Our mission is clear,� Olivastro said. �We exist to save the republic and secure it for future generations.�

But the loss of multiple high-profile trustees in rapid succession suggests that, for some longtime allies, Heritage�s claim to moral and intellectual leadership is now in doubt.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Leave a Reply

Popular Posts