Heritage Foundation president delays book release until after election amid Project 2025 backlash

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts on Wednesday postponed the release of his newest book until after the November elections, as he faces attacks on the foundation's controversial Project 2025 agenda.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her presidential campaign have been vehemently attacking the project recently, claiming they represent former President Donald Trump's most extreme views. But Trump has attempted to distance himself from the project, which is led by former Trump administration personnel and policy aides.

Roberts' book "Dawn’s Early Light," was originally scheduled to be released on Sept. 24 per NBC News, and includes a foreword by Trump's running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

“There’s a time for writing, reading, and book tours — and a time to put down the books and go fight like hell to take back our country,” Roberts said in a statement to RealClearPolitics. “That’s why I’ve chosen to move my book’s publication and promotion to after the election.”

Vance, who praised the ideas in the book in the foreword, said Democrats, the media, and "even some people involved" are trying to draw a line between the former president's campaign and the Heritage Foundation's initiative, which are not the same thing.

"It’s a 900-page document,” Vance said. "There are some ideas I like and a lot of ideas I dislike in Project 2025 ... [But] Donald Trump speaks for himself. Nobody else speaks for him. The Trump campaign has its own agenda. That’s not the same as Project 2025, and that’s just how it is.”

Roberts said that he is focused on getting Trump back into the White House, because Harris' plans for the country are dangerous for Americans. 

“The Democrat establishment is more radical than ever, and Kamala Harris promises to advance their destructive agenda of high inflation and open borders for four more years,” he said. “We can’t let that happen ... In the coming weeks, conservatives are fully committed to focusing our efforts on helping defeat the left at the ballot box and securing a resounding victory for the American people."

The Heritage Foundation is one of the most influential conservative think-tanks in Washington, D.C., and has advised Republican administrations for more than four decades.

A new date for the book's publication has not been announced, but the presidential election will take place on Nov. 5.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.