WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation announced Tuesday that Dr. Kiron Skinner, a former Trump administration official and currently a Heritage visiting fellow, is taking on an expanded role as a senior advisor to Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts.  

In her new role, Skinner will provide advice and counsel to Roberts, particularly on a multitude of pressing national security issues, including cybersecurity, security in the Western Hemisphere, and the transatlantic alliance. She will also support Heritage’s 2025 Presidential Transition Project, a multiyear effort launched by Heritage to unite the conservative movement around a set of policy goals, early-administration actions, and personnel identification and training opportunities—all in preparation for a new presidential administration in 2025.  

Skinner is a seasoned diplomat and national security expert, having served in various capacities at both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the State Department in the last two decades. At DOD, Skinner served as an advisor for two decades, and during the final year of the Trump administration, was appointed to the Defense Business Board. At State, she served as the director of the Office of Policy Planning under President Trump, where she worked toward bolstering the transatlantic alliance, among other initiatives.  

She also possesses vast experience in the campaign world, having served on several Republican presidential campaigns as a senior policy advisor and surrogate since 2000. In 2016, Skinner was a foreign policy surrogate for the Trump presidential campaign, and filled numerous roles on the transition team, including with the NSC landing team, State Department landing team, and the Executive Committee. Skinner was also recently appointed the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy.

Roberts released the following statement on the announcement:  

“Heritage is on a mission to fight for America’s future, and to take our country back from those who seek to destroy our institutions and degrade our values. Part of that mission is understanding the existential threats we face from outside our borders, and there’s no one better than Dr. Kiron Skinner to have on our team to make sure we’re focusing fire in the right directions. Her experience and insights will be critical in the coming years to make sure we have an agenda in place to confront and overcome our enemies on the world stage, and that we communicate that agenda effectively to the American people. This is a good day for Heritage, and for the conservative movement.” 

James Carafano, vice president of Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, also released a statement:  

“Having known and worked with Kiron for many years, I am so thrilled to have her joining our team in this expanded capacity. Confronting the multifaceted Chinese threat will require a comprehensive strategy that doesn’t just look to the Indo-Pacific, but also ensures our European allies and partners in the Atlantic world work alongside us. It will require pushing China's growing influence in the Western Hemisphere. We must defeat the Chinese threat in all of its dimensions, while also advancing our interests on the world stage and overcoming other challenges to our national security and economic well-being. Kiron has thought deeply about these issues and is going to be a key voice at Heritage to make sure we do so.”