PALM BEACH, Fla. — The conservative think tank associated with Project 2025, which outlines a vision linked to President-elect Donald Trump, is initiating an endeavor to support Trump’s contested choice for secretary of defense. This marks another strategic move to influence the forthcoming Republican administration.
Kevin Roberts, the President of the Heritage Foundation, announced on Thursday that the organization plans to invest $1 million to sway senators who are hesitant to endorse Pete Hegseth. His nomination for the Pentagon’s leadership is under scrutiny due to concerns about his views on women in combat roles as well as allegations regarding his personal conduct. Several Republican senators have either refrained from backing Hegseth or have sought further details about his history with alcohol and interactions with women.
Roberts mentioned in an interview that the approach will involve communications directed at constituents, highlighting how certain senators are misaligned with the Trump agenda. He asserted that the negative feedback directed at Hegseth is largely influenced by “the establishment.”
The expression of support for Hegseth underscores a resurgence of Project 2025, a plan that Trump previously distanced himself from amidst Democratic criticism during his campaign. However, with Trump set to return to the White House, several individuals involved with Project 2025 have been appointed to critical roles within the administration.
Roberts spoke after encountering Trump at an event held on Wednesday, alongside other members of the forthcoming Cabinet. Although he didn’t confirm any private discussions with the president-elect, he attended the gathering at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where he made his declarations.
The agenda of Project 2025 includes proposals to modify the classification of numerous federal employees, making it easier to terminate their positions, as well as plans to reduce or eliminate certain government agencies. Following backlash from Democrats regarding this blueprint, Trump claimed ignorance of its creators, despite the fact that it was devised by longstanding allies and former administration officials.
The Mar-a-Lago gathering also served as the launch event for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) known as Azoria U.S. Meritocracy, which seeks to focus investments on companies that lack diversity, equity, and inclusion practices by purposely excluding them from the fund. The fund’s CEO, James Fishback, has close ties to Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential contender and current leader of the new Department of Government Efficiency, which works in concert with tech moguls like Elon Musk.
During the event, Roberts humorously introduced himself as a representative of Project 2025, eliciting laughter from the modest audience. He mentioned maintaining a strong friendship with Brooke Rollins, the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, another organization that has contributed to the framework for a second Trump administration. Rollins has been put forward for the position of agriculture secretary.
Emphasizing the collaborative nature of their efforts, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation and America First Policy Institute are “close collaborators on the Trump agenda.” He characterized the upcoming second term as the “beginning of the golden era of America’s next chapter,” asserting, “I think we’re in the middle of a re-founding of this country.”
