Ryan Neuhaus, who until recently served as the chief of staff for Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, left the organization amid criticism over Roberts’ defense of Tucker Carlson, particularly after a meeting with Nick Fuentes, a figure associated with anti-Semitic views.
A spokesperson for Heritage confirmed Neuhaus’ resignation, clarifying, “Ryan was not fired. He decided to resign, and we accepted it. He’s a good man, and we truly appreciate what he contributed here. We believe he will continue to make a difference in another role.”
Neuhaus had shared various supportive posts about Roberts and Carlson on social media, which upset many Heritage staff and conservative allies. He suggested that a staff member, who expressed outrage over these comments, should resign if they felt that strongly about it, implying that their departure would benefit the organization.
On Friday, Roberts informed staff via email that Neuhaus would transition to a senior adviser role, while Vice President Derrick Morgan would take over as acting chief of staff for the remainder of the year. Neuhaus is set to return to the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies, where he will focus on significant topics like housing. Roberts said Neuhaus’ enthusiasm and perspective would greatly aid their mission to uphold the nation’s foundational principles.
Neuhaus will eventually step into the chief of staff role after previously working as legislative director for Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah). Roberts, who has been aligning significant conservative think tanks more closely with the MAGA movement, faced a split within the conservative community due to his remarks last week, where he labeled the backlash against Carlson as a “toxic coalition” and asserted that efforts to “cancel” him would fail.
Roberts acknowledged Fuentes’ controversial statements but insisted that trying to “cancel” him was not the solution and that his ideas should be openly debated instead. This provoked significant backlash from Heritage’s allies, Republican officials, and some within the organization itself, with one staff member remarking that Fuentes’ ideas shouldn’t be considered worth discussing.
Following the backlash, Roberts further articulated his concerns about Fuentes’ views in a later statement, highlighting their potential for inciting hatred, particularly against Jews, which he condemned as both immoral and dangerous. In an internal email, he noted that under his leadership, Heritage had taken clear steps to fight anti-Semitism, emphasizing a balanced stance on Israel and recognizing the need for a reasoned discussion regarding its actions.
