The Heritage Foundation added four new members to its board of trustees on Wednesday, including conservative commentator Mollie Hemingway and nationalist political theorist Yoram Hazony, as the think tank pushes forward with its “Heritage 2.0” recalibration. The move comes after several board members resigned in the wake of internal turmoil over the think tank’s direction in the Trump era.
Also joining the board are Lawrence Blanford, the retired CEO of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and business leader and education reform activist J.C. Huizenga. The announcement was first reported by The Hill.
The board elections follow a period of instability at Heritage, which erupted after President Kevin Roberts initially defended former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for interviewing antisemitic streamer Nick Fuentes. Roberts quickly apologized to staff, but the incident sparked a wider rebellion over the think tank’s ideological direction. The new appointments are seen as an effort to steady the ship and align the board with the organization’s evolving priorities.
Heritage has also unveiled a “four cornerstones” framework for its policy and advocacy work under the “Heritage 2.0” banner. These cornerstones focus on the American family, the dignity of work and free enterprise, national security, and American heritage and citizenship.
“Heritage’s mission is not only to produce and promote ideas, but to help build and sustain a governing movement capable of revitalizing the country,” Roberts said in a statement. “At a time when the country is demanding leadership rooted in Truth, courage, sovereignty, and common sense, these trustees bring the experience, conviction, and strategic insight needed to help secure America’s future for the next generation.”
Roberts added: “The future of the country depends on whether Americans are willing to defend the permanent things: faith, family, community, sovereignty, and self-government. These trustees understand that task, bring the intellectual seriousness and leadership necessary to help Heritage deliver on our mission and meet this moment.”
The new board members reflect the think tank’s ideological shift. Hazony, an Israeli American philosopher and author of “The Virtue of Nationalism,” is a founder of the “national conservative” movement and chairs the Edmund Burke Foundation. His brand of protectionist economics has drawn criticism from free-market advocates who were once Heritage stalwarts. Hemingway, editor in chief of The Federalist and a Fox News contributor, has written books defending Justice Brett Kavanaugh and arguing that the 2020 election was “rigged” in favor of Democrats, earning praise from President Trump.
Huizenga oversees manufacturing and packaging companies and founded National Heritage Academies, a charter school management organization. Blanford, retired since 2013 from the company that popularized Keurig, serves on the boards of Catholic University of America and EWTN.
The reshuffle comes as Heritage seeks to cement its role in the conservative movement amid broader political shifts. The think tank’s embrace of nationalist and protectionist ideas marks a departure from its free-market roots, a trend that could have implications for policy debates on trade and immigration. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's proposed overhaul of FEMA and new Labor Department dashboard on union spending highlight ongoing battles over federal power and transparency that Heritage is likely to weigh in on.
With the new board, Heritage appears to be doubling down on a more combative, culturally focused conservatism, even as it seeks to rebuild internal unity. Whether this strategy pays off remains to be seen, but the appointments signal that the think tank is firmly aligned with the nationalist wing of the GOP.
