Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts apologized on Wednesday for calling journalist Tucker Carlson's critics a "venomous coalition," in a third statement on the matter as associates resigned or disaffiliated with the Conservative organization after it defended Carlson for hosting Christian white nationalist Nick Fuentes on his program.
Roberts said that everyone had a responsibility to speak out against antisemitism, and his organization would challenge Carlson when he was wrong.
"Leadership requires owning the moments where we fall short, then using them to reset, refocus, and recommit," Roberts said in a video statement. "My use of the phrase 'venomous coalition' was a terrible choice of words. It caused justified concern --especially among friends and allies who know how seriously Heritage has fought, and continues to fight, against the rise of antisemitism."
The values of the Conservative movement
The Heritage president warned that Democratic victories in elections across the country showed how the Conservative movement had to work to engage in difficult conversations to promote its values.
The apology was the third statement by Roberts after his initial remark defending Carlson's conversation with Fuentes, who discussed their hatred of Christian Zionists and stopping Zionist Jews in the conservative movement. The interview expanded a schism in the right about the mainstreaming of antisemitism, opposition to Christian Zionism and Israel, and isolationism.
On Monday, Roberts said at a Hillsdale College speech that he had made a "mistake," though he had the good intentions of defending free speech and acting against cancel culture. Roberts said that he was worried about antisemitism on the left and on "far fringes of the right," and the millions of "disaffected" young American men had flirted with antisemitism by following the "wrong people."
Roberts had also posted on X on Thursday that he abhorred Fuentes's positions, such as Holocaust denial, and his "musings about rape, women, child marriage, and abusing his potential wife."
On Thursday, the Heritage head had said that Carlson was being attacked by a "venomous coalition" attempting to sow division, and that Carlson would remain a close friend of Heritage. Roberts said that he disagreed with Fuentes, but believed that debate was the answer to his ideas, not cancellation. Roberts also contextualized the Fuentes interview within the context of a discussion of Christian loyalties and values, and the right to criticize Israel.
The defense of Carlson's decision to host and not challenge Fuentes resulted in a series of resignations and disaffiliations with Heritage, the latest being the Combat Antisemitism Movement, which on Thursday announced that until it could meet with the organization it was suspending participation in Heritage's National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism project.
Evangelical Christian Zionist activist and founder of Proclaiming Justice to The Nations Laurie Cardoza-Moore resigned from the task force on Thursday, after stating on Wednesday that she would not be involved unless Heritage "cut all ties with antisemites."
The Israel Innovation Fund issued a Wednesday statement explaining that it had withdrawn from the task force, noting Robert's attacks on a "globalist class" and "mouthpieces in Washington" making some feel that conservative had to "reflexively" support Israel. They also took issue with a defense of Carlson after he called the "brain virus" of Christian Zionism a "heresy."
Defending Carlson "as he peddles antisemitic conspiracy, tells outright lies about Israel, fuels hate" undermines "the very purpose" of the task force.
Attorney Ian Speir announced on X on Tuesday that he continued continue with the task force or support Heritage after Roberts's "strategic non-apology" that doubled down on "'loyalty' to Tucker Carlson, muses about welcoming [Fuentes movement] groypers and the groyper-curious into the [conservative] movement, and continues to gaslight everyone about 'cancelation' when that clearly isn’t the issue."
The decision to resign had been delayed at the urging of the co-chairs of the task force, and answers from Heritage about the organization's agenda. National Review reported on Tuesday that task force co-chairs had asked members to stay with the project while they worked with Roberts on the issue.
National Jewish Advocacy Center CEO Mark Goldfeder said in a Sunday statement that he was resigning from the task force, charging that Robert's initial defense of Carlson cast critics as "un-American or disloyal" and engaged in "antisemitic tropes and dog-whistles."
Deborah Project Legal Director Lori Lowenthal Marcus said on X on Wednesday that over the weekend the had resigned from the task force because "the edifice of Heritage is no longer one which I can trust" despite well-crafted but "tone-deaf" apologies.
Vice President JD Vance addressed general US conservative infighting issues on social media on Wednesday, calling the rifts between factions "stupid."
"I care about my fellow citizens--particularly young Americans--being able to afford a decent life, I care about immigration and our sovereignty, and I care about establishing peace overseas so our resources can be focused at home," wrote Vance. "If you care about those things too, let's work together."
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.