The social media platform X suffered multiple outages today, with owner Elon Musk suggesting, without evidence, that a cyberattack from Ukraine may have been the cause.
Conservative commentators have amplified the claims, adding even more sensationalist spin. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, one of Washington, DC’s top conservative think tanks, claimed today in an appearance on Newsmax that the “deep state and their friends in Ukraine” could have been behind the alleged cyberattack.
Newsmax host Rob Schmitt did not ask Roberts to substantiate his claims.
From the Reagan Revolution to MAGA
Founded in 1973, the Heritage Foundation emerged in the 1980s as a major player in Washington aligning with President Ronald Reagan’s agenda — advocating for a strong military and fiscally and socially conservative policies. It was a decidedly center-right research organization, though with a degree of bipartisan respectability.
Under Roberts, the organization has gone full MAGA, opportunistically embracing the world of conspiracy. Before last year’s elections, the Heritage Foundation promoted election conspiracy theories, including a video claiming that tens of thousands of non-citizens were registered to vote in Georgia. The video garnered over 50 million views — thanks in part to promotion by Musk.
The Heritage Foundation also spearheaded Project 2025, the blueprint for the Trump administration’s proposed overhaul of the U.S. government.
The irony is that the Heritage Foundation — with a budget of over $100 million and its ex-CIA and Pentagon staff — is as establishment as it gets.
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