The 52-year-old Heritage Foundation’s future will likely be defined by President Donald Trump’s vision for America

The 52-year-old Heritage Foundation’s future will likely be defined by President Donald Trump’s vision for America.

Speaking with The Hill for a profile published Tuesday, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said that while the foundation spent its first 50 years focused on former President Ronald Reagan’s vision, the next 50 will likely be spent focused on Trump’s vision.

Omg @Heritage trolling DC with a 60ft banner of Trump overlooking the Capitol is absolutely epic pic.twitter.com/BrIaE3yrDT

— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) April 28, 2025

“You can have the principles along with the really bold action of Trump, who, frankly, is superior to Reagan in his willingness to upend the status quo,” Roberts said. “If we put those two things together, then for the next 50 years of Heritage and in the conservative movement, I think that defines who we are.”

“Trump is the conservative movement’s FDR, politically,” he continued, adding that Trump has inspired the right to be more aggressive, “in ways that use the full legal authority given to elected officials.”

The Heritage Foundation has shown love to Trump by displaying multi-story banners on the outside of its headquarters — first ahead of his inauguration, and second after his first 100 days in office.

America is back! It’s hard to believe all that President Trump and his team have accomplished in just 100 days. It deserved another banner outside Heritage HQ here in Washington, D.C.

Check out our favorite 100 wins here https://t.co/qAuPNsi4Bn pic.twitter.com/KJ1zdZ8AIm

— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) April 28, 2025

The foundation has also changed its longstanding policy positions in the wake of Trump. Consider tariffs, for instance.

“Heritage’s scholars had long argued against tariffs, calling them ‘not conservative,’ saying during Trump’s first term that they ‘will only punish Americans’ and declaring as recently as 2021 that tariffs ‘are never a good idea,’” The Hill notes.

“But now, Roberts says Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff move should be ‘applauded’ as part of a negotiating strategy and broader economic agenda that includes extension of expiring tax cuts. Using tariffs constructively ‘is a fine art,’ Heritage scholars wrote last year,” according to The Hill.

Asked about this switch in policy position, Roberts said that the foundation has realized that “the United States has gotten weaker, especially relative to China, [and] if, in fact, we want to become stronger as well as avert a military conflict with China, we have to upend the status quo.”

“We understand that if the tariff regime becomes truly reciprocal, if it’s zealously focused on China, and if that 10 percent, across-the-board tariff becomes a border adjustment tax …that’s a tariff regime that we like because tariffs — at least if history is a guide — become more temporary than permanent,” he added.

‘We want more free trade, not less. That’s why it’s so important that these tariffs actually be reciprocal and used as a negotiating tool to get other nations to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers.’ – Heritage Economist @RealEJAntoni pic.twitter.com/dv7pDk5VlV

— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) April 4, 2025

But Roberts stressed that while the Heritage Foundation’s policy positions have changed as per Trump, their principles remain the same.

“Definitely none of the principles [have changed],” he said. “Some of the policy positions, which some people conflate with principles, [have changed].”

Asked by The Hill whether Trump’s done anything that isn’t conservative and that goes against the foundation’s conservative philosophy, Roberts said nope.

“I mean, honestly, no — hence the wonderful banner,” he said, referring to the foundation’s 100-day celebration banner seen above.

Roberts did admit, though, that he feels the tariffs need “continued refinement” so that they become reciprocal and focused only on China — which is why he’s a big fan of Trump’s Treasury secretary pick.

“I’m really optimistic with the leading role that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has taken in this,” he said.

This is Scott Bessent:

Trump’s Treasury Secretary leading tariff talks with 70+ countries.

In 1992, he DESTROYED the Bank of England with George Soros.

Now, his $600B gamble will completely transform global trade.

Here’s why Trump REALLY picked Bessent as Treasury Sec: pic.twitter.com/gtTV6l4scC

— Tim Carden (@timjcarden) April 10, 2025

All this comes despite Trump having distanced himself from the Heritage Foundation’s infamous Project 2025. But that, thankfully, is now all in the past, according to Roberts.

“It looks like it’s in the past …The relationships are very strong,” he said, noting that Trump wound up implementing a number of Project 2025’s recommendations.

“By every measure, personnel who’ve gone in, the transition project leaders who are in the administration, the policies they’re enacting — Our transition project in 2024, just as it has been since 1980, looks like it’s been very successful,” Roberts said.

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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