Turmoil at The Heritage Foundation?

Aug 07, 2026

THIS WEEK: Thinking About Think Tanks

A recent New York Times articles on The Heritage Foundation caught our eye.

It was an interesting, well-reported piece by a journalist (who reports often on the American Right) about turmoil inside the 50-plus-year-old ultra-conservative think tank.

The Heritage Foundation — which has an annual budget of well over $100 million, more than 500 employees, countless Heritage-backed appointees in The White House, and a Project 2025 agenda that has seen some serious wins — is a powerful right-wing influencer that is now being heavily influenced itself.

It’s a little more complicated than that.

But the piece offered a bird’s eye view into how an already extremely right-leaning think tank can veer further right.

Think of it as a metaphor for the way the GOP has embraced all sorts of white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and election-deniers — not only into its party, but into its epicenter.

We think telling these types of stories can really help people understand how dangerous fringe ideas can turn into mainstream thought. It’s people in power who move towards — rather than away from — them who hold much of the blame.

We didn’t think this piece was perfect.

An explanation of “Founding Principles” and how they are interpreted by conservatives and liberals was in order. Most people have no idea what that debate is about.

Further, the piece should have clarified when sources were reciting false information, and we think it should have been more clear about the way Project 2025 is impacting people in real ways.

But there was a lot to like about the piece. Two things that stood out for us:

Explaining the larger and larger role conservative Catholics are playing in the Republican Party and its environs.
Educating readers on the newer MAGA think tanks — like the America First Policy Institute

The piece got us thinking about how local reporters can cover internal happenings inside political groups on their beat. Here are some things we thought were important.

TIPS FOR COVERING POLITICAL GROUPS & THEIR INTERNAL STRUGGLES

Powerbroker or powerless?
When covering a think tank/political party/political youth group etc. in some stage of real (or imagined) decline and/or change make sure you clarify how much power the group has to begin with.
Put it in perspective.
Make sure your audience understands whether this shift will make the group less/more powerful and how the shift will influence the lives of Americans.
Show me the money.
Report on money, staffing numbers, and other marks of size and influence. This helps to illustrate what kind of scale we are talking about. Don’t forget to include who’s footing the bill — as in what billionaires are financing the outfit.
Contextualize.
Take some time and space to explain how the group fits into the larger political picture.