In a shocking revelation, Kevin Roberts, the architect behind Project 2025 and current president of the Heritage Foundation, allegedly confessed to killing a neighbor’s pit bull in 2004 and wanted to kill several puppies. Former colleagues at New Mexico State University recall Roberts recounting the incident, claiming he used a shovel to silence the dog that was persistently barking and disturbing his family.
Multiple sources, including Kenneth Hammond, then-chair of the history department, corroborated that Roberts shared this disturbing story during faculty discussions. Hammond described Roberts’s account as unsettling, noting that he seemed to express little remorse about the incident, simply stating it resolved the problem.
“My recollection of his account was that he was discussing in the hallway with various members of the faculty, including me, that a neighbor’s dog had been barking pretty relentlessly and was, you know, keeping the baby and probably the parents awake and that he kind of lost it and took a shovel and killed the dog. End of problem,” said Hammond, who was chair of the university’s history department at the time, The Guardian reports.
Despite the allegations, Roberts vehemently denies ever harming a dog, claiming that a neighbor’s pit bull had attempted to jump into his yard while he was gardening with his young daughter. He asserted that animal control later removed multiple dogs from the neighbor’s property due to abuse, but he did not provide evidence to substantiate this claim.
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Roberts’s admission has resurfaced amid a heated political climate, with former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance amplifying xenophobic rhetoric against Haitian immigrants in Ohio. This narrative has led to increased tensions and threats within the Springfield community.
Project 2025, a controversial policy outline calling for drastic immigration measures and the dismantling of the Department of Education, is positioned as a potential blueprint for Trump’s future administration. While both Trump and Vance have distanced themselves from the project, Vance praised Roberts in a foreword, highlighting his influence within right-wing circles.
As Roberts’s past comes under scrutiny, former colleagues expressed discomfort with his alleged actions. Marsha Weisiger, a history professor, recounted being “stunned” when Roberts discussed the dog-killing incident at a dinner party, highlighting the chilling nature of his confession.
“My husband and I were stunned. First of all, that he would do such a thing. And second of all, that he would tell us about it. If I did something horrific, I would not be telling my colleagues about it,” she said, according to The Guardian.
To make matters worse, Weisiger remembered him mentioning that the neighbor had puppies and that he had even contemplated killing them as well. Her husband, who wished to remain anonymous, recalled Roberts expressing frustration over his complaints to the police about the dog, claiming they were unresponsive, and noting that the dog occasionally entered his yard.
The revelations come at a time when Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, are facing criticism for their inflammatory rhetoric against Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. The duo has been accused of promoting a xenophobic propaganda campaign, falsely claiming that these immigrants are killing and eating pets. These incendiary assertions appear designed to rally support among far-right voters and have led to a series of bomb threats that have shaken the Springfield community.
Roberts’s role in crafting Project 2025 has drawn scrutiny as the document has emerged as a pivotal issue in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats warn that its extreme policy proposals—such as dismantling the Department of Education and imposing stricter abortion regulations—could serve as a blueprint for a second Trump administration.
Despite attempts by both Trump and Vance to distance themselves from the 900-page report, Vance’s foreword to Roberts’s book highlights his significant influence, praising his “depth and stature within the American Right” and labeling these ideas as essential in the political battles ahead.
Roberts, a prominent figure within conservative circles, maintains close ties to Opus Dei, a Catholic organization, and has openly stated that outlawing birth control represents one of the toughest challenges facing conservatives today.
