Former Sen. Jim DeMint is hanging by a thread at the Heritage Foundation right now. It has been reported that he is likely to be ousted as President of the conservative think-tank in the days to come, but not if the most conservative legislators in Washington D.C. have anything to say about it!
Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker and Utah Sen. Mike Lee reportedly penned a glowing letter to DeMint hailing his many achievements for the conservative movement. It has already been endorsed by over two dozen House and Senate Republicans, including Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows, House Financial Services Committee Chair Jeb Hensarling, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady, and 2016 presidential candidates Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio. The letter has yet to be released to the public, and even more Republican lawmakers are expected to sign on.
“For the last two decades, you have served faithfully as a leading advocate for America at its best,” the letter reads. “You have consistently promoted our founding-era vision of America as a nation of empowered, flourishing citizens.”
The letter continues on to champion DeMint for keeping his humility even when “confronted [with] overwhelming opposition, bitter criticism, and nagging skepticism — not only from those who openly oppose your philosophical worldview, but occasionally (and quite painfully) from those who purport to embrace it.”
Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. Mark Walker confirmed to The Liberty Conservative that he was circulating the letter in question. He also stated that while the letter commemorated DeMint’s tenure at Heritage and his contributions to the wider conservative movement, it did not directly suggest anything regarding Demint’s employment at Heritage.
It has been rumored that DeMmint’s ouster is being orchestrated by Heritage Action CEO Mike Needham, who refused to deny that White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is a candidate to replace DeMint in a FOX News interview yesterday. If Heritage ultimately drops DeMint, this overwhelming support from high-profile Republicans almost certainly assures that he will land on his feet in the conservative movement.
