Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner has passed away at age 83, leaving behind a major legacy in conservative politics. Feulner led the think tank for decades and helped shape both the Reagan and Trump administrations. His work on Project 2025—a bold conservative plan for a second Trump term—remains a central part of his legacy. Known for building unity across the conservative movement, Feulner’s leadership transformed Heritage into a powerful force in Washington. He believed in growing the movement with bold ideas and strong people. His vision, values, and influence continue to guide the Heritage Foundation and American conservatism.
at 83: How the conservative icon shaped U.S. politics and Trump's agenda- Edwin J. Feulner, the co-founder and longest-serving president of the Heritage Foundation, passed away on Friday at the age of 83. A central figure in modern American conservatism, Feulner led the think tank from 1977 to 2013 and returned briefly from 2017 to 2018. Under his leadership, the Heritage Foundation transformed from a small Washington-based group into a major policy force that reshaped Republican thinking—especially during the Reagan era and again under Donald Trump. Feulner’s influence extended beyond policy papers. He played a direct role in crafting conservative agendas, most recently through the controversial Project 2025, which outlines a blueprint for a potential second Trump administration. His legacy is deeply tied to the rise of organized conservative policy-making in Washington.
Feulner helped launch the Heritage Foundation in 1973, a time when conservative policy ideas had little institutional support in D.C. When he took over as president in 1977, he envisioned a new kind of think tank—one that could produce timely, actionable policy proposals, ready for lawmakers.
His vision paid off. By the time Ronald Reagan entered the White House in 1981, Heritage had already published “Mandate for Leadership,” a 3,000-page conservative playbook that became required reading for Reagan’s transition team. That model—providing ready-to-implement policies—revolutionized think tank influence in American politics.
Feulner's mantra, “people are policy,” summed up his approach: Build networks, place people in government, and influence policy from within.
During the Reagan years, Feulner’s Heritage Foundation pushed for free-market policies, deregulation, and a strong national defense. The group’s ideas helped shape tax reform, welfare policy, and foreign policy throughout the 1980s. Fast forward to Donald Trump’s presidency, and Feulner was again at the center of conservative strategy. He served on Trump’s transition team and co-authored the afterword to Project 2025, a document filled with right-wing policy proposals in case Trump returns to office. Project 2025 has sparked heated debate—praised by supporters for its clarity and criticized by opponents for its extreme views. According to Heritage President Kevin Roberts and Board Chair Barb Van Andel-Gaby, Feulner “helped shape every fiber of the conservative movement—and still does.” Project 2025, led by the Heritage Foundation, is a transition plan designed for a future Trump administration. It includes staffing strategies, policy proposals, and structural changes aimed at strengthening executive authority and reshaping federal institutions.
Feulner’s involvement highlights his ongoing influence. Even in his 80s, he remained active—working alongside current Heritage leaders, co-writing sections of the project, and meeting with Donald Trump to discuss its content. His dedication to building conservative institutions never wavered, even as political tides shifted.
Feulner was known for building coalitions across the conservative spectrum. He brought together libertarians, traditionalists, and nationalists at venues like the Philadelphia Society and through initiatives like the Heritage Strategy Forum.
One of his favorite sayings was: “You win through multiplication and addition, not through division and subtraction.” He believed that unity—not uniformity—was the key to building lasting political power.
Roberts and Van Andel-Gaby described Feulner as someone who “championed a bold, big-tent conservatism.” That philosophy helped Heritage weather political changes and internal ideological battles for decades.
Feulner wrote nine books, served as a congressional aide, and mentored a generation of conservative leaders. But his most visible legacy is the Heritage Foundation itself. Under his watch, it became a $100-million-a-year operation with deep ties to Congress, the White House, and grassroots networks.
Roberts said Feulner’s words still echo in the halls of Heritage: “In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.” That mindset continues to guide the think tank’s work today.
The Foundation has vowed to carry Feulner’s mission forward “with courage, integrity, and determination.” His focus on policy, people, and principle remains at the core of its strategy.
Feulner is survived by his wife Lina, their children, and grandchildren. The Heritage Foundation has not released the cause of death.
Though Feulner is gone, his ideas, leadership style, and institutional legacy remain central to the conservative movement’s future—especially as debates heat up around Project 2025 and the 2024 presidential election.
As Heritage leadership put it: “Thank you for showing us what one faithful, fearless man can do when he refuses to cede ground in the fight for self-governance.”
He was the co-founder and longest-serving president, transforming it into a leading conservative think tank.
Project 2025 is a conservative policy plan for a possible Trump second term, co-authored by Feulner to guide future governance.
