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{{short description|American academic}}
{{short description|President of The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action}}
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{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kevin Roberts
⚫
{{Infobox person
| name = Kevin Roberts
| image = Kevin Roberts (cropped).jpg
| caption = Roberts in 2023
| birth_name =
| office1 = President of [[The Heritage Foundation]] <br> and [[Heritage Action]]
| image = File:KevinRoberts.png
| caption =
| term_start1 = December 1, 2021
| birth_date =
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = [[Kay Coles James]]
| birth_place =
| residence =
| successor1 =
| office2 = 2nd President of <br> [[Wyoming Catholic College]]
| nationality = American
| term_start2 = August 25, 2013
| other_names =
| term_end2 = August 28, 2016
| known_for =
| predecessor2 = Robert Cook
⚫
| education = [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]]<br>[[Virginia Tech]]<br>[[University of Texas]]
| successor2 = [[Glenn Arbery]]
| employer =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|6|24}}
| occupation = [[Professor]]<br>[[Academic]]
| title = President and CEO of the [[Texas Public Policy Foundation]]
| birth_place = [[Lafayette, Louisiana]], U.S.
| salary =
| death_date =
| networth =
| death_place =
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| term =
⚫
| education = [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[Virginia Tech]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br />[[University of Texas at Austin]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| predecessor =
| successor =
| party =
}}
}}
{{Conservatism US|activists}}
'''Kevin David Roberts''' (born June 24, 1974) is the president of [[the Heritage Foundation]], a [[conservatism in the United States|conservative]] political think tank, and its lobbying arm, [[Heritage Action]]. Prior to assuming his current role, he was the CEO of another conservative think tank, the [[Texas Public Policy Foundation]].<ref name="TPPF">{{cite web |date=April 4, 2016 |title=Texas Public Policy Foundation announces Kevin Roberts as new Executive Vice President |url=https://www.texaspolicy.com/press/texas-public-policy-foundation-announces-kevin-roberts-as-new-executive-vice-president |url-status=live |archive-url=http://www.texaspolicy.com/experts/detail/kevin-roberts |archive-date=April 24, 2024 |access-date=April 24, 2024 |website=Texas Public Policy Foundation}}</ref> Roberts served as the president of [[Wyoming Catholic College]] from 2013 to 2016.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Samuels | first1=Brett | title=Heritage Foundation names new president | url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/576743-heritage-foundation-names-new-president | date=October 14, 2021 | work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] | access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last1=Wermund | first1=Benjamin | title=Texan Kevin Roberts, 'a D.C. outsider,' picked to lead conservative Heritage Foundation | url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Texan-Kevin-Roberts-a-D-C-outsider-16533017.php | date=October 14, 2021 | work=[[Houston Chronicle]] | access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref>


Soon after Roberts joined Heritage in December 2021, the organization established [[Project 2025]], an expansive plan to reshape the [[Federal government of the United States|United States federal government]] and consolidate [[Executive (government)|executive power]] after [[Donald Trump]] is [[United States presidential inauguration|inaugurated]] into [[President of the United States|office]] following the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Levien |first1=Simon J. |title=Biden Campaign Takes Aim at Project 2025, a Set of Conservative Proposals |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/27/us/politics/biden-trump-project-2025.html |work=The New York Times |date=June 27, 2024 |access-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627205306/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/27/us/politics/biden-trump-project-2025.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
'''Kevin Roberts''' is an [[Americans|American]] academic who serves as President and CEO of the [[Texas Public Policy Foundation]] in [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texaspolicy.com/experts/detail/kevin-roberts|title=Texas Public Policy Foundation staff biographies}}</ref> He also served as the President of [[Wyoming Catholic College]] from 2013 to 2016.


==Early life and education==
==Education==
Roberts was born June 24, 1974 in [[Lafayette, Louisiana]], to James A. Roberts Sr. and Susan P. Rabalais ({{nee}} Pitre).<ref name="UTADiss" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Betty Pitre Obituary 2009 |url=https://www.lafondardoin.com/obituaries/betty-pitre |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Homes |language=en}}</ref> He has one sister, Lori Roberts Romero.<ref name="UTADiss"/> Roberts' parents divorced in 1979 when he was four. His father struggled with alcoholism, and his brother took his own life at 15.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-11 |title=Wyoming’s ‘Cowboy Catholic’ could remake government if Trump wins {{!}} County 17 |url=https://county17.com/2024/02/11/wyomings-cowboy-catholic-could-remake-government-if-trump-wins/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> Roberts graduated from [[Lafayette High School (Louisiana)|Lafayette High School]] in 1992, earned a bachelor's degree in history ''magna cum laude'' from the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]] in 1996, earned a Master of Arts in history from [[Virginia Tech]] in 1999, and earned a Ph.D. in American history from [[University of Texas at Austin]] in 2003.<ref name="TPPF"/><ref name="UTADiss">{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Kevin D. |title=Slaves and slavery in Louisiana: The evolution of Atlantic world identities, 1791–1831 |url=http://hdl.handle.net/2152/885 |access-date=3 July 2024 |date=2003|hdl=2152/885 }}</ref>


==Career==
Roberts earned his Ph.D. in American History from [[The University of Texas]]. He also holds a master's degree in history from [[Virginia Tech]], and a B.A. in history, from the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texaspolicy.com/experts/detail/kevin-roberts|title=Texas Public Policy Foundation staff biographies}}</ref>


=== New Mexico State University ===
==Teaching career==
Roberts worked as an assistant professor of history at [[New Mexico State University]] from 2003 to 2005.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Kirchgaessner |first=Stephanie |date=2024-09-24 |title=Project 2025 mastermind allegedly told colleagues he killed a dog with a shovel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/24/project-2025-kevin-roberts-killed-dog |access-date=2024-09-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>


He served as president of [[Wyoming Catholic College]] from 2013 to 2016 when he accepted his position as executive vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
=== Wyoming Catholic College ===
Roberts served as president of Wyoming Catholic College from 2013 to 2016 when he accepted his position as executive vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.


⚫
During his tenure as president of Wyoming Catholic College, Roberts led the institution to an outright rejection of [[Title IV]] federal student loans and grants, citing religious liberty concerns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/03/29/wyoming-catholic-college-wont-compromise-beliefs-rejects-federal-financial-aid |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330141912/http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/03/29/wyoming-catholic-college-wont-compromise-beliefs-rejects-federal-financial-aid|title=Catholic College Won't Compromise Beliefs, Rejects Federal Financial Aid|date=2015-03-29 |archive-date=2015-03-30 |url-status=dead |website=FOX News Insider|access-date=2017-04-03}}</ref> The decision made the college one of just a few colleges in the nation to reject such funding. In an article on the decision, ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Roberts and his students as "cowboy Catholics" for their independence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/us/to-keep-free-of-federal-reins-wyoming-catholic-college-rejects-student-aid.html|title=To Keep Free of Federal Reins, Wyoming Catholic College Rejects Student Aid|last=Healy|first=Jack|date=April 11, 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 3, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Political stances==


=== Heritage Foundation ===
During an livestreamed interview of U.S. Representative [[Chip Roy]] (R-TX) on Sept. 10, 2021, Roberts said, “What Trump captured was the absolute irritation, the frustration that Americans have with the elites in Washington who wake up each day trying to tell us what to do, and if the [[Texas Public Policy Foundation]] stands for anything even beyond the specific policies we work on, it is that it is fighting for you.” <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://austinjournal.com/stories/607261087-defend-texans-from-the-unconstitutional-illegal-tyrannical-overreach-roy-challenges-americans-to-battle-biden-washington|title='Defend Texans from the unconstitutional, illegal, tyrannical overreach': Roy challenges Americans to battle Biden, Washington|date=2021-09-13|last=Lawrence|first=Tom|date=2021-09-13|work=Austin Journal|access-date=2021-09-17}}</ref> Roberts continued, “We don't have enough conservatives, so-called conservatives who are willing to fight for what Trump really personified, which is that the elites have run this country way too long. And you've got so much evidence of that in the last couple of weeks, not just the vaccine mandate, but think about the ridiculous, tragic, embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan. And you've got colleagues in the Republican Party, members of Congress, who won't even force the president's hand to have to answer questions about that.”
In October 2021, it was announced that Roberts had been selected to replace [[Kay Coles James]] as president of the Heritage Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Philip|last=Wegmann|title=Heritage Names 'D.C. Outsider' Roberts as New President|website=[[RealClearPolitics]]|url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/10/14/heritage_names_dc_outsider_roberts_as_new_president_146566.html|date=October 14, 2021|access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Samuels|first=Brett|date=October 14, 2021|title=Heritage Foundation names new president|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/576743-heritage-foundation-names-new-president|access-date=October 18, 2021|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en}}</ref>


In September 2023, Roberts was selected as president of [[Heritage Action]], the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, after the executive director, Jessica Anderson, took a leave of absence in July 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kevin D. Roberts, PhD |url=https://www.heritage.org/staff/kevin-d-roberts-phd |access-date=2024-05-22 |publisher=[[The Heritage Foundation]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Action Executive Director Announces Leave of Absence for… |url=https://heritageaction.com/press/heritage-action-executive-director-announces-leave-of-absence-for-full-time-sentinel-action-fund-work-ryan-walker-appointed-acting-executive-director |access-date=2024-05-22 |publisher=[[Heritage Action]]|language=en}}</ref> Roberts "serves both organizations in a joint role."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kevin D. Roberts, PhD |url=https://www.heritage.org/staff/kevin-d-roberts-phd |access-date=May 22, 2024|publisher=[[The Heritage Foundation]] |language=en}}</ref>
Regarding passage of the [[First Step Act]] in the U.S. Senate, Roberts said at a press conference, “We as conservatives share common goals. We want strong communities and institutions. We want those who have done wrong to be punished and then to seize their own redemption without state interference. Most of all we want safe neighborhoods.” <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/18/first-step-act-passes-senate-criminal-justice-bill-moves-house/2356547002/|title=Senate passes First Step Act with push from criminal justice groups; bill goes to House|date=2018-12-18|last=Barfield Berry|first=Deborah|date=2018-12-18|work=USA Today|access-date=2021-09-17}}</ref>


In January 2024, Roberts said that he did not believe that [[Joe Biden]] won the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]]. He also said that he saw Heritage's role as "institutionalizing [[Trumpism]]," adding "the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]], with the best of intentions, simply got a slow start. And Heritage and our allies in [[Project 2025]] believe that must never be repeated."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Garcia-Navarro |first1=Lulu |title=Inside the Heritage Foundation's Plans for 'Institutionalizing Trumpism' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/magazine/heritage-foundation-kevin-roberts.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 21, 2024}}</ref>
== Federal funding decision at Wyoming Catholic College ==

⚫
During his tenure as President of [[Wyoming Catholic College]], Roberts led the institution to an outright rejection of [[Title IV]] federal student loans and grants, citing religious liberty concerns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/03/29/wyoming-catholic-college-wont-compromise-beliefs-rejects-federal-financial-aid|title=Catholic College Won't Compromise Beliefs, Rejects Federal Financial Aid|date=2015-03-29|website=FOX News Insider|access-date=2017-04-03}}</ref> This decision garnered significant national attention, as it made the college one of just a few nationally to reject such funding. In an article on the decision, ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Roberts and his students as "cowboy Catholics" for their independence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/us/to-keep-free-of-federal-reins-wyoming-catholic-college-rejects-student-aid.html|title=To Keep Free of Federal Reins, Wyoming Catholic College Rejects Student Aid|last=Healy|first=Jack|date=2015-04-11|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-04-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
When asked during a June 2024 interview if Heritage would accept the results of the [[2024 presidential election]] regardless of its outcome, Roberts replied, "yes, if there isn't massive fraud like there was in 2020." Despite the persistence of an [[Election denial movement in the United States|election denial movement]], no evidence of material election fraud in 2020 was found. When presented with data from the Heritage election fraud database indicating there were just 1,513 proven instances of voter fraud in the United States since 1982, Roberts responded that fraud is "very hard to document, and the Democrat party is very good at fraud."<ref>{{cite news |title=Top Project 2025 architect talks conservative blueprint for Trump second term |url=https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend/watch/top-project-2025-architect-talks-conservative-blueprint-for-trump-second-term-213497413811 |website=[[MSNBC]]|date=June 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Yoon |first1=Robert |title=Trump's drumbeat of lies about the 2020 election keeps getting louder. Here are the facts |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-2020-election-lies-debunked-4fc26546b07962fdbf9d66e739fbb50d |work=[[Associated Press News]] |date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> Roberts also asserted that liberals "are supporting legislation that abortion can happen until three days after the person's born."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Luciano |first1=Michael |date=June 23, 2024 |title='That Is an Absurd Assertion!' MSNBC Host Shuts Down Guest Who Claimed Democrats Want Abortions 'Three Days After the Person's Born' |url=https://www.mediaite.com/politics/that-is-an-absurd-assertion-msnbc-host-shuts-down-guest-who-claimed-democrats-want-abortions-three-days-after-the-persons-born/ |website=[[Mediaite]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Fact check: Trump falsely claims Democratic states are passing laws allowing people to execute babies after birth |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/06/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-abortion-babies-executed/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |date=June 6, 2024}}</ref>

Appearing on [[Steve Bannon]]'s ''War Room'' podcast in July 2024 to be interviewed by former Congressman [[Dave Brat]], Roberts said: "Let me speak about the radical left. You and I have both been parts of [[Academic staff|faculties]] and [[Academic senate|faculty senates]], and understand that the left has taken over our institutions [...] In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. We’re in the process of taking this country back [...] our side is winning.”<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=Philip |title=The target of the right's 'revolution' is pluralistic democracy itself |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/03/heritage-foundation-trump-revolution/ |access-date=July 4, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240703155355/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/03/heritage-foundation-trump-revolution/ |archive-date=July 3, 2024}}</ref><ref name=Astor>{{cite news |last1=Astor |first1=Maggie |title=Heritage Foundation Head Refers to 'Second American Revolution' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html |access-date=July 4, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240703160644/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html |archive-date=July 3, 2024}}</ref> "We ought to be really encouraged by what happened yesterday," said Roberts, in reference to the Supreme Court deciding in former President [[Donald Trump]]'s case that presidents have significant immunity against being prosecuted for actions in office.<ref name=Astor/><ref name=Barber>{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Rachel |title=Project 2025 head says 'second American Revolution' will be 'bloodless if the left allows' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/03/project-2025-kevin-roberts-scotus-immunity-ruling/74289539007/ |access-date=July 4, 2024 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=July 3, 2024}}</ref> Roberts continued: "We are in the process of the second [[American Revolution]], which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be".<ref name=Barber/> Shortly after, the Foundation released a statement which added, "Unfortunately, they have a well established record of instigating the opposite," though right-wing groups have been responsible for most political violence in recent history.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=The Heritage Foundation|user=Heritage|date=July 3, 2024 |title=The Second American Revolution will remain bloodless if the Left allows it to be. Unfortunately, they have a well established record of instigating the opposite. |url=https://x.com/Heritage/status/1808581655122047025 |number=1808581655122047025|work=[[Twitter]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Klepper |first1=David |last2=Amiri |first2=Farnoush |title=FACT FOCUS: Heritage Foundation leader wrong to say most political violence is committed by the left |url=https://apnews.com/article/political-violence-trump-biden-pelosi-assassination-c4423ed88df6f4b3557aa11e798f855d |work=[[Associated Press News]] |date=July 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jasko |first1=Katarzyna |last2=LaFree |first2=Gary |last3=Piazza |first3=James |last4=Becker |first4=Michael |title=A Comparison of Political Violence by Left-wing, Right-wing and Islamist Extremists in the United States and the World |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362083228 |work=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America]] |date=July 2022|quote=In this research we address these gaps by comparing the use of political violence by left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremists in the United States and worldwide using two unique datasets that cover real-world examples of politically motivated, violent behaviors. Across both datasets, we find that radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent. In the United States, we find no difference between the level of violence perpetrated by right-wing and Islamist extremists}}</ref>

Days after Trump released a statement seeking to distance himself from Project 2025, Roberts said, "So no hard feelings from any of us at Project 2025 about the statement because we understand Trump is the standard bearer and he's making a political tactical decision there."<ref>{{cite news |title=Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts: "The overlap is tremendous" between Trump's campaign platform and Project 2025 |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/project-2025/heritage-foundation-president-kevin-roberts-overlap-tremendous-between-trumps-campaign |publisher=Media Matters |date=July 11, 2024}}</ref>

Roberts has authored a book originally scheduled for release on September 24, 2024. It was originally titled ''Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America'' and more recently titled ''[[Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Dawns-Early-Light-Burning-Washington-ebook/dp/B0CQHPFHWT/ |title=Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America |website=amazon.com |access-date=24 July 2024}}</ref><ref name="HarperColl">{{cite web |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/dawns-early-light-kevin-roberts?variant=41585944526882 |title=Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America |website=harpercollins.com |access-date=24 July 2024}}</ref> The volume includes a foreword by vice presidential candidate [[JD Vance]].<ref name="HarperColl" /><ref>{{cite magazine |title=J.D. Vance in Serious Trouble After Damning Project 2025 Book Foreword |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/184182/jd-vance-trouble-heritage-foundation-project-2025-book-foreword |magazine=[[The New Republic]]|first=Robert|last=McCoy|date=July 24, 2024 |access-date=24 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=July 24, 2024|title=JD Vance writes foreword for Project 2025 leader's upcoming book |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jul/24/jd-vance-project-2025-book-kevin-roberts |access-date=July 25, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Amid the controversy surrounding Project 2025, in August 2024 Roberts postponed the book release until after the November election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mascaro |first1=Lisa |title=Project 2025's new leader Kevin Roberts postpones his own book launch until after the election |url=https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-harris-trump-vance-heritage-roberts-01de527325a9a0325bac35989d37ce36#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20As%20Project,after%20the%20November%20presidential%20election. |work=[[Associated Press News]] |date=August 7, 2024}}</ref> Roberts launched book promotion events in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. shortly after the election. On November 13, 2024 ''[[The Guardian]]'' published an account of the weird reception encountered by one of their reporters at one of the promotional events. The reporter was expelled and not allowed to participate although the newspaper had received an invitation to attend the event.<ref>Gabbatt, Adam, ''[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/13/kevin-roberts-project-2025-book-events ‘Go to hell’: how Project 2025 chief kicked the Guardian out of book event]'', ''[[The Guardian]]'', November 13, 2024</ref>

Colin Dickey of the ''New Republic'' says the book reveals paranoid, [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] tactics like using conspiracy theories to violently enforce the right's vision for the world.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Dickey |first=Colin |date=August 9, 2024 |title=Voters Have a Right to Know What Kevin Roberts's Disturbing Book Says |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/184651/voters-right-know-kevin-robertss-disturbing-book-says-j-d-vance-project-2025 |access-date=2024-08-10 |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |issn=0028-6583}}</ref> In the book, Roberts criticizes [[birth control]] and law enforcement (preferring more of a heavily-armed frontier-like society), while promoting public prayer as a key tool in the competition with China.<ref name=":0" />

== Personal life ==
Roberts has close ties and receives regular spiritual guidance from the Catholic Information Center, led by an [[Opus Dei]] priest and incorporated by the archdiocese of Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Leingang |first1=Rachel |last2=Kirchgaessner |first2=Stephanie |title=Kevin Roberts, architect of Project 2025, has close ties to radical Catholic group Opus Dei |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/26/kevin-roberts-project-2025-opus-dei |work=The Guardian |date=July 26, 2024}}</ref>

Roberts and his wife, Michelle LaFleur Roberts, who is Catholic, have four children and are members of a [[Springfield, Virginia]] parish.<ref name="UTADiss"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.notus.org/republicans/heritage-foundation-kevin-roberts | title=A New Leader Has Transformed Heritage. Now He Wants to Transform Conservatism | date=29 January 2024 }}</ref> His oldest child, Emma Claire, was born while he was writing his doctoral dissertation.<ref name="UTADiss"/>

A number of Roberts' former colleagues from New Mexico State University recalled that he bragged about killing his neighbor's dog with a shovel because the dog's barking annoyed him. Roberts disputed this claim.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kirchgaessner |first=Stephanie |date=2024-09-24 |title=Project 2025 mastermind allegedly told colleagues he killed a dog with a shovel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/24/project-2025-kevin-roberts-killed-dog |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Publications==
*{{cite thesis |last=Roberts |first=Kevin D. |date=2003 |title=Slaves and slavery in Louisiana: the evolution of Atlantic world identities, 1791–1831 |hdl=2152/885 |degree=PhD |publisher=University of Texas at Austin |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/items/c838a59b-813b-4534-a20f-ac4f7b2e6a0d |oclc=847273464 |access-date=August 8, 2024}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=Kevin D. |date=July 2005 |title=The Claims of Kinfolk: African American Property and Community in the Nineteenth-Century South (review) |url=https://academic.oup.com/jsh/article/38/4/1116/943435 |journal=Journal of Social History |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=1116–1118 |doi=10.1353/jsh.2005.0074 |access-date=August 8, 2024}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Kevin D. |date=2006 |title=African American Issues |series=Contemporary American Ethnic Issues |location=Westport, CT |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=9780313332401 |oclc=61520286}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Kevin D. |date=2006 |editor-last=Finkelman |editor-first=Paul |title=Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619–1895: From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick Douglass |publisher=Oxford University Press |chapter=Demographics |isbn=9780195167771 |oclc=62430770}}
* {{cite book |last=Roberts |first=Kevin D. |editor-last=Benjamin |editor-first=Thomas |location=Detroit |title=Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 |publisher=Macmillan Reference USA |chapter=Race and Colonialism in the Americas |oclc=67239488 |year=2007 |isbn=9780028658438}}
* {{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=Kevin D. |last2=Falola |first2=Toyin |author-link2=Toyin Falola |date=2008 |title=The Atlantic world, 1450–2000 |location=Bloomington |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=9780253349705 |oclc=177068609}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Roberts |first1=Kevin D. |date=October 2015 |title=Mother church or Uncle Sam |url=https://www.firstthings.com/article/2015/10/mother-church-or-uncle-sam |journal=First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life |issue=256 |pages=19–218 |access-date=August 8, 2024}}
* {{cite book |author-last=Roberts |author-first=Kevin |others=Foreword by [[JD Vance]] |title=Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America |publisher=[[Broadside Books]] |date=2024 |isbn=978-0063353503 }}<ref>{{cite book | isbn=978-0063353503 | title=Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America | last1=Roberts | first1=Kevin | date=2024 | publisher=HarperCollins }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/project-2025-harris-trump-vance-heritage-roberts-01de527325a9a0325bac35989d37ce36 | title=Project 2025's new leader Kevin Roberts postpones his own book launch until after the election | website=[[Associated Press News]] | date=7 August 2024 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


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Latest revision as of 22:17, 7 December 2024

Kevin Roberts
Roberts in 2023
President of The Heritage Foundation
and Heritage Action
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 1, 2021
Preceded byKay Coles James
2nd President of
Wyoming Catholic College
In office
August 25, 2013 – August 28, 2016
Preceded byRobert Cook
Succeeded byGlenn Arbery
Personal details
Born (1974-06-24) June 24, 1974 (age 50)
Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette (BA)
Virginia Tech (MA)
University of Texas at Austin (PhD)
This article is part of a series on
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Kevin David Roberts (born June 24, 1974) is the president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative political think tank, and its lobbying arm, Heritage Action. Prior to assuming his current role, he was the CEO of another conservative think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation.[1] Roberts served as the president of Wyoming Catholic College from 2013 to 2016.[2][3]

Soon after Roberts joined Heritage in December 2021, the organization established Project 2025, an expansive plan to reshape the United States federal government and consolidate executive power after Donald Trump is inaugurated into office following the 2024 presidential election.[4]

Early life and education

[edit]

Roberts was born June 24, 1974 in Lafayette, Louisiana, to James A. Roberts Sr. and Susan P. Rabalais (née Pitre).[5][6] He has one sister, Lori Roberts Romero.[5] Roberts' parents divorced in 1979 when he was four. His father struggled with alcoholism, and his brother took his own life at 15.[7] Roberts graduated from Lafayette High School in 1992, earned a bachelor's degree in history magna cum laude from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1996, earned a Master of Arts in history from Virginia Tech in 1999, and earned a Ph.D. in American history from University of Texas at Austin in 2003.[1][5]

Career

[edit]

New Mexico State University

[edit]

Roberts worked as an assistant professor of history at New Mexico State University from 2003 to 2005.[8]

Wyoming Catholic College

[edit]

Roberts served as president of Wyoming Catholic College from 2013 to 2016 when he accepted his position as executive vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

During his tenure as president of Wyoming Catholic College, Roberts led the institution to an outright rejection of Title IV federal student loans and grants, citing religious liberty concerns.[9] The decision made the college one of just a few colleges in the nation to reject such funding. In an article on the decision, The New York Times described Roberts and his students as "cowboy Catholics" for their independence.[10]

Heritage Foundation

[edit]

In October 2021, it was announced that Roberts had been selected to replace Kay Coles James as president of the Heritage Foundation.[11][12]

In September 2023, Roberts was selected as president of Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, after the executive director, Jessica Anderson, took a leave of absence in July 2023.[13][14] Roberts "serves both organizations in a joint role."[15]

In January 2024, Roberts said that he did not believe that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. He also said that he saw Heritage's role as "institutionalizing Trumpism," adding "the Trump administration, with the best of intentions, simply got a slow start. And Heritage and our allies in Project 2025 believe that must never be repeated."[16]

When asked during a June 2024 interview if Heritage would accept the results of the 2024 presidential election regardless of its outcome, Roberts replied, "yes, if there isn't massive fraud like there was in 2020." Despite the persistence of an election denial movement, no evidence of material election fraud in 2020 was found. When presented with data from the Heritage election fraud database indicating there were just 1,513 proven instances of voter fraud in the United States since 1982, Roberts responded that fraud is "very hard to document, and the Democrat party is very good at fraud."[17][18] Roberts also asserted that liberals "are supporting legislation that abortion can happen until three days after the person's born."[19][20]

Appearing on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast in July 2024 to be interviewed by former Congressman Dave Brat, Roberts said: "Let me speak about the radical left. You and I have both been parts of faculties and faculty senates, and understand that the left has taken over our institutions [...] In spite of all this nonsense from the left, we are going to win. We’re in the process of taking this country back [...] our side is winning.”[21][22] "We ought to be really encouraged by what happened yesterday," said Roberts, in reference to the Supreme Court deciding in former President Donald Trump's case that presidents have significant immunity against being prosecuted for actions in office.[22][23] Roberts continued: "We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be".[23] Shortly after, the Foundation released a statement which added, "Unfortunately, they have a well established record of instigating the opposite," though right-wing groups have been responsible for most political violence in recent history.[24][25][26]

Days after Trump released a statement seeking to distance himself from Project 2025, Roberts said, "So no hard feelings from any of us at Project 2025 about the statement because we understand Trump is the standard bearer and he's making a political tactical decision there."[27]

Roberts has authored a book originally scheduled for release on September 24, 2024. It was originally titled Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America and more recently titled Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America.[28][29] The volume includes a foreword by vice presidential candidate JD Vance.[29][30][31] Amid the controversy surrounding Project 2025, in August 2024 Roberts postponed the book release until after the November election.[32] Roberts launched book promotion events in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. shortly after the election. On November 13, 2024 The Guardian published an account of the weird reception encountered by one of their reporters at one of the promotional events. The reporter was expelled and not allowed to participate although the newspaper had received an invitation to attend the event.[33]

Colin Dickey of the New Republic says the book reveals paranoid, Stalinist tactics like using conspiracy theories to violently enforce the right's vision for the world.[34] In the book, Roberts criticizes birth control and law enforcement (preferring more of a heavily-armed frontier-like society), while promoting public prayer as a key tool in the competition with China.[34]

Personal life

[edit]

Roberts has close ties and receives regular spiritual guidance from the Catholic Information Center, led by an Opus Dei priest and incorporated by the archdiocese of Washington, D.C.[35]

Roberts and his wife, Michelle LaFleur Roberts, who is Catholic, have four children and are members of a Springfield, Virginia parish.[5][36] His oldest child, Emma Claire, was born while he was writing his doctoral dissertation.[5]

A number of Roberts' former colleagues from New Mexico State University recalled that he bragged about killing his neighbor's dog with a shovel because the dog's barking annoyed him. Roberts disputed this claim.[37]

Publications

[edit]
  • Roberts, Kevin D. (2003). Slaves and slavery in Louisiana: the evolution of Atlantic world identities, 1791–1831 (PhD thesis). University of Texas at Austin. hdl:2152/885. OCLC 847273464. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  • Roberts, Kevin D. (July 2005). "The Claims of Kinfolk: African American Property and Community in the Nineteenth-Century South (review)". Journal of Social History. 38 (4): 1116–1118. doi:10.1353/jsh.2005.0074. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  • Roberts, Kevin D. (2006). African American Issues. Contemporary American Ethnic Issues. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313332401. OCLC 61520286.
  • Roberts, Kevin D. (2006). "Demographics". In Finkelman, Paul (ed.). Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619–1895: From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick Douglass. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195167771. OCLC 62430770.
  • Roberts, Kevin D. (2007). "Race and Colonialism in the Americas". In Benjamin, Thomas (ed.). Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 9780028658438. OCLC 67239488.
  • Roberts, Kevin D.; Falola, Toyin (2008). The Atlantic world, 1450–2000. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253349705. OCLC 177068609.
  • Roberts, Kevin D. (October 2015). "Mother church or Uncle Sam". First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (256): 19–218. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  • Roberts, Kevin (2024). Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America. Foreword by JD Vance. Broadside Books. ISBN 978-0063353503.[38][39]

References

[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Kevin Roberts (political strategist).
  1. ^ a b "Texas Public Policy Foundation announces Kevin Roberts as new Executive Vice President". Texas Public Policy Foundation. April 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Samuels, Brett (October 14, 2021). "Heritage Foundation names new president". The Hill. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  3. ^ Wermund, Benjamin (October 14, 2021). "Texan Kevin Roberts, 'a D.C. outsider,' picked to lead conservative Heritage Foundation". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Levien, Simon J. (June 27, 2024). "Biden Campaign Takes Aim at Project 2025, a Set of Conservative Proposals". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e Roberts, Kevin D. (2003). "Slaves and slavery in Louisiana: The evolution of Atlantic world identities, 1791–1831". hdl:2152/885. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Betty Pitre Obituary 2009". Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Homes. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  7. ^ "Wyoming's 'Cowboy Catholic' could remake government if Trump wins | County 17". 2024-02-11. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  8. ^ Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (2024-09-24). "Project 2025 mastermind allegedly told colleagues he killed a dog with a shovel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  9. ^ "Catholic College Won't Compromise Beliefs, Rejects Federal Financial Aid". FOX News Insider. 2015-03-29. Archived from the original on 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  10. ^ Healy, Jack (April 11, 2015). "To Keep Free of Federal Reins, Wyoming Catholic College Rejects Student Aid". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  11. ^ Wegmann, Philip (October 14, 2021). "Heritage Names 'D.C. Outsider' Roberts as New President". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  12. ^ Samuels, Brett (October 14, 2021). "Heritage Foundation names new president". The Hill. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  13. ^ "Kevin D. Roberts, PhD". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  14. ^ "Heritage Action Executive Director Announces Leave of Absence for…". Heritage Action. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  15. ^ "Kevin D. Roberts, PhD". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  16. ^ Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (January 21, 2024). "Inside the Heritage Foundation's Plans for 'Institutionalizing Trumpism'". The New York Times.
  17. ^ "Top Project 2025 architect talks conservative blueprint for Trump second term". MSNBC. June 22, 2024.
  18. ^ Yoon, Robert (August 27, 2023). "Trump's drumbeat of lies about the 2020 election keeps getting louder. Here are the facts". Associated Press News.
  19. ^ Luciano, Michael (June 23, 2024). "'That Is an Absurd Assertion!' MSNBC Host Shuts Down Guest Who Claimed Democrats Want Abortions 'Three Days After the Person's Born'". Mediaite.
  20. ^ Dale, Daniel (June 6, 2024). "Fact check: Trump falsely claims Democratic states are passing laws allowing people to execute babies after birth". CNN.
  21. ^ Bump, Philip (July 3, 2024). "The target of the right's 'revolution' is pluralistic democracy itself". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Astor, Maggie (July 3, 2024). "Heritage Foundation Head Refers to 'Second American Revolution'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Barber, Rachel (July 3, 2024). "Project 2025 head says 'second American Revolution' will be 'bloodless if the left allows'". USA Today. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  24. ^ The Heritage Foundation [@Heritage] (July 3, 2024). "The Second American Revolution will remain bloodless if the Left allows it to be. Unfortunately, they have a well established record of instigating the opposite" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Klepper, David; Amiri, Farnoush (July 18, 2024). "FACT FOCUS: Heritage Foundation leader wrong to say most political violence is committed by the left". Associated Press News.
  26. ^ Jasko, Katarzyna; LaFree, Gary; Piazza, James; Becker, Michael (July 2022). "A Comparison of Political Violence by Left-wing, Right-wing and Islamist Extremists in the United States and the World". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. In this research we address these gaps by comparing the use of political violence by left-wing, right-wing, and Islamist extremists in the United States and worldwide using two unique datasets that cover real-world examples of politically motivated, violent behaviors. Across both datasets, we find that radical acts perpetrated by individuals associated with left-wing causes are less likely to be violent. In the United States, we find no difference between the level of violence perpetrated by right-wing and Islamist extremists
  27. ^ "Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts: "The overlap is tremendous" between Trump's campaign platform and Project 2025". Media Matters. July 11, 2024.
  28. ^ "Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America". amazon.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America". harpercollins.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  30. ^ McCoy, Robert (July 24, 2024). "J.D. Vance in Serious Trouble After Damning Project 2025 Book Foreword". The New Republic. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  31. ^ Pengelly, Martin (July 24, 2024). "JD Vance writes foreword for Project 2025 leader's upcoming book". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  32. ^ Mascaro, Lisa (August 7, 2024). "Project 2025's new leader Kevin Roberts postpones his own book launch until after the election". Associated Press News.
  33. ^ Gabbatt, Adam, ‘Go to hell’: how Project 2025 chief kicked the Guardian out of book event, The Guardian, November 13, 2024
  34. ^ a b Dickey, Colin (August 9, 2024). "Voters Have a Right to Know What Kevin Roberts's Disturbing Book Says". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  35. ^ Leingang, Rachel; Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (July 26, 2024). "Kevin Roberts, architect of Project 2025, has close ties to radical Catholic group Opus Dei". The Guardian.
  36. ^ "A New Leader Has Transformed Heritage. Now He Wants to Transform Conservatism". 29 January 2024.
  37. ^ Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (2024-09-24). "Project 2025 mastermind allegedly told colleagues he killed a dog with a shovel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  38. ^ Roberts, Kevin (2024). Dawn's Early Light: Burning Down Washington to Save America. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0063353503.
  39. ^ "Project 2025's new leader Kevin Roberts postpones his own book launch until after the election". Associated Press News. 7 August 2024.
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