A rift in MAGA has top Heritage Foundation officials leaving to join with Mike Pence

(NPR) More than a dozen staff members at the influential conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation are leaving the organization to join a group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence.

The mass departure follows turmoil within Heritage and the larger conservative movement over the role of right-wing influencers who've promoted antisemitic and other extremist ideas. Those tensions were on display at Heritage after its president, Kevin Roberts, released a video defending Tucker Carlson for a friendly interview in October with Nick Fuentes, an avowed white nationalist who has previously praised Adolf Hitler. Roberts' video sparked controversy inside Heritage, prompting him to later apologize for it.

Pence's think tank, Advancing American Freedom, or AAF, announced the hires on Monday, saying they include leaders from the Heritage Foundation's legal, economic and data teams.

In a statement, Pence welcomed the new hires and said they "bring a wealth of experience, a love of country, and a deep commitment to the Constitution and Conservative Movement that will further the cause of liberty."

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/22/nx-s1-5651990/heritage-foundation-mike-pence