The Heritage Foundation announced Thursday that Dr. Kevin Roberts will become the seventh president in the think tank’s 48-year history. Roberts will succeed President Kay C. James later this year. Here’s what others are saying about the board’s selection of Dr. Roberts.
From Capitol Hill:
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: “Looking forward to working with Kevin Roberts to advance our shared conservative values.”
Sen. Ted Cruz: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts on being named president of the Heritage Foundation! It's great to have another Texan in DC! I look forward to continue to work with you to advance conservative principles.”
Sen. Steve Daines: “Congratulations Kevin Roberts! Look forward to working with you and the entire Heritage team to continue bringing conservative ideas to the United States Senate.”
Sen. Mike Lee: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts on the new post! Heritage will be in very good hands.”
Sen. Cynthia Lummis: “Pleased as punch to welcome the former President of Wyoming Catholic College as the new head of Heritage! Looking forward to working with you Kevin Roberts.”
Sen. Rick Scott: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts for being selected to serve as the new president of Heritage! We are thankful for the great leadership of Kay Coles James & look forward to working with Kevin & the incredible Heritage team to continue advancing strong conservative values.”
Sen. James Lankford: “Dr. Kevin Roberts is a great pick for the Heritage Foundation—he is a lifelong proven Conservative who knows how to articulate our values. We will miss Kay, but know Kevin will continue to support our movement in this new role. Welcome, Kevin!”
Rep. Jim Banks: “Congratulations to my friend Kevin Roberts! The Heritage Foundation will be well served by this selection.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts on serving as next President of Heritage!”
Rep. Mike Johnson: “Many congratulations to Kevin Roberts for taking the helm of The Heritage Foundation at this historic moment! We look forward to working closely with you to continue advancing our conservative, constitutional principles.”
Rep. Chip Roy: “It is a very good thing for the future of freedom, the advancement of civil society, & the prosperity of the American people that my dear friend & former TPPF colleague, Kevin Roberts, was today voted to be the next President of Heritage. The time is now…”
Rep. Ann Wagner: “This is great news. Kevin Roberts will do a fantastic job representing our conservative values, and I look forward to working with him.”
Rep. Bill Huizenga: “Welcome to Dr. Roberts! Keep up the great work and legacy of The Heritage Foundation!”
Conservative Movement:
Ryan T. Anderson, Ethics and Public Policy Center: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts, the new president of the Heritage Foundation! This is an outstanding pick and bodes incredibly well for the future of Heritage and the conservative movement.”
Club for Growth: “Congratulations to 2020 Club for Growth Foundation Fellow Kevin Roberts on being named the new president of Heritage! Kevin will do a great job advancing the cause of limited government and economic freedom.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List: “Congratulations on your selection, Kevin Roberts. Looking forward to working alongside you and Heritage to restore an America where everyone, no matter how small, gets their chance at LIFE, liberty & the pursuit of happiness.”
Jim DeMint, Conservative Partnership Institute: “Congrats to Kevin Roberts and Heritage. Kevin is a trusted and courageous conservative leader who I am proud to call a friend. He and his TPPF colleagues have been critical allies in the battle for secure borders, election integrity and a culture of life.”
Paris Dennard, Republican National Committee: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts who was just announced as the new President of Heritage! I have long admired the important work of the TPPF and trust he will do a great following in the amazing footsteps of Kay Coles James at the Heritage Foundation!”
Samuel Gregg, Acton Institute: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts as the new president of Heritage. A genuinely outstanding appointment! It couldn’t be better.”
Nikki Haley, Former U.N. Ambassador: “Congrats to Kevin Roberts for being named as the new Heritage president. We need strong conservative leadership now more than ever.”
Mark Meadows, Former White House Chief of Staff: “Heritage chose the right person in Kevin Roberts — his leadership will be an asset to the conservative movement and all of us at Conservative Partnership Institute look forward to working with him in the fight to preserve our country.”
Mike Pence, Former Vice President: “Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Roberts on being named the 7th President of the Heritage Foundation! As CEO of TPPF, Kevin's strong commitment to Conservative solutions will ensure Heritage remains the Flagship of the Conservative Movement across America!”
Scooter Schaefer, Competitive Enterprise Institute: “Kevin Roberts on his vision for conservatism as new Heritage president: ‘..less DC-centric, it will be one that gets back to its roots of being hostile, hostile, hostile to the centralization of power in the national capitol.’ Please make it so.”
Terry Schilling, American Principles Project: “I’ve known Kevin Roberts for a while now. Top notch. Heritage made an excellent choice here. This is great for them and the country.”
Ron Simmons, Former Texas State Representative: “Great decision to hire my good friend and colleague Kevin Roberts from TPPF as your new president. No greater choice for integrity, vision and application!”
Russ Vought, Center for Renewing America: “Congratulations to my friend Kevin Roberts on your new post at Heritage! A great leader, a great conservative, and a great choice.”
Ryan P. Williams, Claremont Institute: “Heritage made the right choice among its finalists for President. A hearty congrats to Kevin Roberts.”
Chad Wolf, Former Acting DHS Secretary: “Congratulations Kevin Roberts and Heritage. Outstanding choice!”
Paul S. Teller, Ph.D., Advancing American Freedom: “Kevin Roberts is a fantastic choice for Heritage President! While no one can truly replace Kay Coles James, Kevin will do a stellar job succeeding her. He captures the political moment perfectly, able to unify conservatives across the movement with his masterful blend of intellect and activism. I look forward to constant collaboration with him and with everyone at Heritage under his capable leadership for many years to come.”
From the States:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: “Huge congratulations to my friend, Kevin Roberts, on being named president of the Heritage Foundation. Big loss for TPPF and the Lone Star State, but glad you'll be advancing our Texas values in DC.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: “Congratulations, Kevin Roberts. I know you will always do an outstanding job.”
Texas State Sen. Paul Bettencourt: “Kevin Roberts is a true Conservative leader in Texas and we will miss him! He's officially moving on to DC's national stage—the Heritage Foundation has gained an outstanding president!”
Derek Kreifels, State Financial Officers Foundation: “Congrats Kevin Roberts and Heritage on the announcement of your new President!”
James Madison Institute, Florida: “A heartfelt congratulations to TPPF CEO Kevin Roberts on being named President of Heritage—the conservative movement is in great hands and the team at JMI look forward to working with you!”
Pelican Institute, Louisiana: “Lafayette’s own Dr. Kevin Roberts has been appointed the new president of the Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation. The entire Pelican team sends congratulations and best wishes to our friend and colleague on this new adventure.”
Media:
Michael Berry, Host of the “Michael Berry Show:” “Wow. This is big news. TPPF has become a powerful force, and this is testament to the fact that that has been noticed across the country. Big move for Kevin Roberts.”
Bradley Devlin, The American Conservative: “It would have been easy for the Heritage Foundation to pull a former Trump administration name out of a hat in order to try and get into the good graces of what some call the ‘new right,’ while offering little institutional or outlook change. In choosing Roberts, Heritage decided not to do that, which deserves to be commended. Roberts doesn’t just talk the talk; he walks the walk.”
John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist: “Great news about Kevin Roberts joining Heritage -- and not just for Kevin and Heritage, but for the entire country. (Although we'll miss him here in Texas.)”
Matthew Foldi, Washington Free Beacon: “The new head of Heritage is Kevin Roberts, a ‘cowboy Catholic.’ Yeehaw ?”
Curtis Houck, NewsBusters: “Congratulations to Kevin Roberts! What an incredible honor. TPPF is an amazing group, so Heritage made an excellent choice.”
Christopher Rufo, City Journal: “Congratulations! Fantastic choice for Heritage and the movement.”
Phil Wegmann, RealClearPolitics: “That choice will have ripple effects, not just in Washington but throughout the country as Republicans search for ideas and methods to stem the tide of an emboldened and increasingly progressive Democratic Party that controls the White House and both chambers of Congress.”
