Heritage Foundation president Dr. Kevin Roberts. (Tom Williams/CQ Getty Images)
"What we've got to do for 2026 is articulate to the American people -- starting with this crowd here at AmFest -- what those policy priorities need to be; not just for the short term but for the long term and Heritage certainly is in the middle of that conversation."
To keep conservatism at the fore in 2026, given recent setbacks, conservatives must run on an "aspirational vision" he said was lacking in several 2025 races – while noting Jack Ciattarelli’s failed bid for governor of New Jersey bid as one of the better-run campaigns.
Looking to the new year, Roberts said Heritage is interested in seeing policymakers asking those uncomfortable questions inside the Beltway, like what the future of the American family looks like, whether the workplace is one where Americans earn dignity and not just a paycheck, and more directly, "what it means to be an American."
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"[That’s] to say something, of course, that establishment Washington doesn’t like to talk about," he said.
"What's the future, not just of immigration policy, but how can we assimilate the highest percentage of foreign-born population we've had in modern American history? This is important for all of us if in fact we're going to have a healthy society," he said.
"The bottom line is this, if establishment Washington talks about just sort of sidebar issues in this campaign, then the midterms are going to be a disaster. "
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"They, to state the obvious, have to talk about what the American people are asking, and they actually have to offer policy solutions where I happen to think Heritage has some good things to say."
In 2028, Trump will be term-limited and a new conservative leader will have to rise.
The best way for conservatives to move forward, he said, is to embrace a "good fusion of the best elements of populism."
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"Namely, exercising popular will over longstanding conservative principles like diminishing the size of the administrative state, but also making sure that we're sustaining our longstanding, conservative principles," Roberts said.
"Whoever the standard-bearers are for conservatism in 2028, 2032, 2036, their policy ideas are going to sound a lot like Trump's, but of course they are going to bring their own imprint into that."
"Those of us who focus on ideas and policy for a living need to do our jobs zealously well to keep offering not just the long-standing policy ideas, but some innovative ones as well," he added.
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Looking ahead to Heritage’s work in 2026, Roberts said the think tank will focus on family, the future of free enterprise, national security, and citizenship.
"And then we're also focused, especially on the side of our enterprise that works on advocacy and campaigns, "Heritage Action [For America]", what those particular places are where we can tell that story to the American people. And hopefully, people running for office will take those issues and run with them," he said.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
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