Heritage Foundation President Apologizes to Staff Over Carlson Video
Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts issued an apology to his staff on Wednesday, admitting he made a mistake with his earlier posts defending Tucker Carlson from what he called a “venomous coalition.” The remarks came a week after a video in which Roberts had promised that the foundation would always stand by Carlson against “the slander of bad actors who serve someone else’s agenda.”
“I made a mistake and I let you down and I let down this institution. Full stop,” said Roberts. “I made the mess, let me clean it up.”
Roberts told employees he was willing to resign but felt a moral duty to repair the controversy. He discussed this commitment with the organization’s board of directors, emphasizing his responsibility to restore trust within the institution.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, which obtained a video of the internal meeting, the organization’s Chief Operating Officer Eric Korsvall added a strict warning:
“If we see someone leaking, you’re fired.”
Roberts clarified his earlier statements, admitting that his original defense of Tucker Carlson lacked an important limitation. He explained that standing against cancel culture does not mean unconditional endorsement of everything a public figure says or does.
“You can say you’re not going to participate in canceling someone while also being clear you’re not endorsing everything they’ve said, or every interview they’ve done, and I should’ve made that clear.”
Context and Clarification
Roberts emphasized that his earlier message should have delineated such boundaries and explained he was not deeply familiar with specific individuals associated with the controversy, including certain extremist figures mentioned in related coverage.
Author’s Summary
The Heritage Foundation's president admitted fault in his defense of Tucker Carlson, pledging accountability and reaffirming that opposing cancel culture must still recognize moral and professional limits.