‘We reached an impasse’
A prominent Princeton University professor, author and member of the Heritage Foundation’s Board of Trustees announced his resignation from the influential conservative think tank on Monday amid lingering fallout from Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with Nick Fuentes.
Robert P. George, a Catholic conservative legal scholar who serves as the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and had been a member of the Heritage board since 2019, announced in a Facebook post that he resigned in response to Heritage President Kevin P. Roberts not retracting an Oct. 30 video defending Carlson.
“Although Kevin publicly apologized for some of what he said in the video, he could not offer a full retraction of its content. So, we reached an impasse,” George wrote.
George’s resignation follows other high-profile exits from Heritage in recent weeks, including Roberts’ chief of staff Ryan Neuhaus, former Trump advisor Stephen Moore, George Mason University Law professor Adam Mossoff and members of Heritage’s antisemitism task force dubbed “Project Esther.”
Carlson has fielded intense backlash from many Evangelicals, Jews and other conservatives for what critics described as a softball Oct. 27 interview of Fuentes, a 27-year-old far-right podcaster who has espoused antisemitic views, questioned the scale of the Holocaust, bemoaned the alleged influence of “organized Jewry” and expressed admiration for Hitler.
Heritage played a significant role in launching Carlson’s career as a prominent conservative voice in the late 1990s and early 2000s, regularly booking him as a speaker and giving him a platform while he was still a young journalist at The Weekly Standard.
Roberts at first came to Carlson’s defense after the interview, saying in an Oct. 30 video that “Christians can critique the state of Israel without being antisemitic” and that Carlson “remains and, as I have said before, always will be a close friend of the Heritage Foundation.”
While acknowledging he “abhors” some of what Fuentes has said, he warned against “canceling” Carlson for speaking to him.
During a leaked address to Heritage staff following backlash, Roberts subsequently apologized for describing those attacking Carlson as a “venomous coalition” that is sowing division.
In a statement to The Christian Post, a spokesperson for Heritage expressed gratitude for George’s service to Heritage and confidence in Roberts’ leadership.
“We are thankful for Professor George and his service to Heritage. He is a good man, and we look forward to opportunities to work together in the future. Under the leadership of Dr. Roberts, Heritage remains resolute in building an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish. We are strong, growing, and more determined than ever to fight for our Republic,” the spokesperson said.
Reactions to George’s resignation were mixed on social media, with some showing support and others pointing out his public friendship and collaboration with former Harvard professor Cornel West, who himself has faced accusations of antisemitism for his criticism of the Israeli government. West has publicly denounced alleged antisemitism in the black community.
George’s resignation announcement came a day after President Donald Trump defended Carlson against those denouncing him for platforming Fuentes.
“You can’t tell him who to interview,” Trump told reporters in response to a question on the topic Sunday night. “I mean, if he wants to interview Nick Fuentes — I don’t know much about him — but if he wants to do it, get the word out. People have to decide; ultimately, people have to decide.”
“Meeting people, talking to people, for somebody like Tucker, that’s what they do. Some people are controversial. Some are, some aren’t,” he added.
The fallout from Carlson’s interview engulfed members of his family over the weekend after Carlson’s brother, Buckley Carlson, approvingly quote-tweeted a Fuentes video Saturday.
On Sunday, Vice President JD Vance defended Carlson’s son — who is also named Buckley and serves as his deputy press secretary — after journalist Sloan Rachmuth claimed “racism and antisemitism is a Carlson family trait” and implied Carlson’s son is “a vile bigot,” though he has made no public statements on the subject.
“I have an extraordinary tolerance for disagreements and criticisms from the various people in our coalition. But I am a very loyal person, and I have zero tolerance for scumbags attacking my staff. And yes, *everyone* who I’ve seen attack Buckley with lies is a scumbag,” Vance said.
