admin
Mike Pence has been named the new president of the Heritage Foundation, the influential conservative think tank long central to shaping GOP policy. Announced in a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, Pence pledged to restore the institution’s “Reagan-era roots” with firm conservative leadership.
Effective immediately, his appointment signals a strategic pivot. Pence plans to drive Heritage’s Project 2025—a 920-page transition blueprint—into a governing roadmap for the next Republican administration, regardless of the nominee. Heritage board chair Thomas Saunders praised his focus on ideas over personalities, in a comment some saw as a quiet step away from Trump.
The GOP reaction split: Trump allies like Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked the move, while Mitch McConnell lauded Pence’s “intellectual heft.” Avoiding mention of Trump, Pence emphasized “winning the war of ideas.” His first initiative will be a “Faith & Freedom” lecture series featuring rising GOP figures, underscoring this as a power move, not a political exit.
