In a profound loss for the conservative movement, Edwin J. Feulner, the visionary co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, has died at 83.
Fox News reported that Feulner, who passed on Friday, leaves behind a legacy of transforming a small think tank into a titan of conservative policy in Washington, D.C., with far-reaching influence on everything from Reagan-era reforms to modern initiatives like Project 2025.
Back in 1973, Feulner helped establish the Heritage Foundation, a bastion for right-leaning ideas in the nation’s capital.
His tenure as president, spanning from 1977 to 2013 and briefly from 2017 to 2018, made him the longest-serving leader in the organization’s history.
Under his sharp guidance, Heritage didn’t just grow—it became a juggernaut, pushing market-driven policies into the mainstream and shaping the very backbone of conservative thought during critical decades.
Feulner’s model of advocacy was a game-changer, proving that ideas rooted in freedom and limited government could win hearts and minds without bowing to the progressive tide.
His influence wasn’t just institutional; it was deeply political, as seen in his role in crafting reforms that defined an era of renewed American strength under President Reagan.
Fast forward to recent years, and Feulner was still in the fight, contributing to Project 2025, a bold set of policy recommendations for a potential second Trump administration, even co-authoring its afterward.
While some cheer this as a roadmap for restoring traditional values, others criticize its hardline stances—yet Feulner’s commitment to principle over popularity never wavered.
Feulner’s proximity to power was clear when he met with President Donald Trump alongside Heritage President Kevin Roberts ahead of last year’s election, reinforcing his relevance in today’s political arena.
He also served on Trump’s transition team during the first term and remained active in shaping plans for a possible second term, a testament to his enduring drive for conservative governance.
“Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary,” said Heritage President Kevin Roberts and Board Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby. Well, they’re right—his vision built a movement, not just a think tank, proving that conviction can outlast compromise any day.
“He believed in addition, not subtraction,” Roberts and Van Andel-Gaby noted, highlighting Feulner’s knack for uniting diverse conservative voices under a big-tent philosophy. That’s a lesson the right could use now, as infighting often overshadows shared goals against a relentless progressive agenda.
“His ‘Feulnerisms’ still resonate in the halls of Heritage,” they added, pointing to sayings like ‘People are policy.’ It’s a sharp reminder that real change comes from empowering individuals, not just drafting white papers, a truth too often forgotten in bureaucratic D.C.
Beyond Heritage, Feulner’s reach extended as an author of nine books, a former congressional aide, and a key player in numerous conservative groups, survived by his wife, Lina, their children, and grandchildren.
His personal life, like his public one, reflected a commitment to family and faith—values he championed without apology. Though the cause of his death remains undisclosed, his impact is crystal clear, and that’s what matters most.