The architect of the Project 2025 manifesto for remaking the federal government to serve Donald Trump allegedly told colleagues that he killed a neighbor’s dog with a shovel because it was a nuisance.

Kevin Roberts, who is now president of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, told New Mexico State University colleagues and dinner guests that he killed the pit bull around 2004 because it was barking and bothering his family, according to sources who attended a dinner at his home and described the incident to The Guardian.

A professor and her spouse also recalled hearing a similar account directly from Roberts, then a NMSU history professor, at a dinner at his home, while three other professors say they heard the story around that time from colleagues who got it directly from Roberts. None of the sources say they asked him to provide additional details about an incident they found to be unsettling.


🗳️ Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

  • @DandomRude@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    22
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    I don’t really get why it takes news like this for people to understand that all those involved with this political program can’t be good people.

    I mean Hitler was a dog lover. Does that make him a good person? I don’t think so.

    • @Passerby6497@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      720 hours ago

      I mean Hitler was a dog lover.

      He also carried a dog whip with him and would beat his dog with it. Wouldn’t exactly call that a dog lover.

    • @Veneroso@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      4
      edit-2
      22 hours ago

      I mean.

      Pro: liked dogs.

      Pro: artist.

      Con: kissing cousin.

      Con: Holocaust.

      Pro: Killed Hitler.

      Obligatory /s

  • Coelacanth
    link
    fedilink
    591 day ago

    So the threat to people’s pets was not in fact Haitians but republicans themselves? Amazing.

    • @MrFappy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      422 hours ago

      It’s always projection. Every single time you hear a repub talk about kids getting molested, you can automatically assume that they have done so countless times. If you hear them talk about ruining jobs or the economy, you can be confident that they’ve worked to do so themselves at great length. This is just another addition to the pile.

  • nkat2112
    link
    fedilink
    English
    571 day ago

    None of the sources say they asked him to provide additional details about an incident they found to be unsettling.

    It appears this conservative was happy to recount the event in which he violently massacred a noisy dog, but his various academic audiences never wanted to hear too much about it.

    Because, naturally, gruesome acts are unsettling - to put it mildly.

    And this is the pious architect of the manifesto dictating how we should lead our lives.

    • FuglyDuck
      link
      fedilink
      English
      29
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      I work nights and my neighbor got a pandemic puppy. When he returned to the office, that bunny was getting separation anxiety pretty hard. Barking his cute little head off.

      I certainly understand the frustration.

      In my case I left a note and brought the pupper in to nap with me, though. Snuggled right up and passed out.

      These dog murdering assholes? Deserve getting the shovel rammed up their ass.

      (They subsequently went to doggy day care…. Booo)

  • @grte@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    27
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    What is it about the reactionary mind that makes dog murder not only not a shameful story that one might want to keep to oneself, but a story you actually want to tell others or even put in a book?

    • @Carmakazi@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      241 day ago

      It shows that you’re not shackled by empathy and are willing to “do what needs to be done.”

      Meaning hurt the right people.

  • TimLovesTech (AuDHD)(he/him)
    link
    fedilink
    English
    5
    edit-2
    3 hours ago

    So, all these people went to this assholes house and listened to him brag about killing a dog with a shovel and never thought to mention it to the police (even anonymously)? I would say that makes them compliant complicit, and no better than him.

    Also amazing how these holier than thou people are just absolutely disgusting people once you know anything about them.

    Edit - Spell check doing its thing.

    • TimeSquirrel
      link
      fedilink
      251 day ago

      The pitbull didn’t ask to exist, just like any of us. Limiting breeding and sale is one thing, but once a lifeform is already here, that kinda changes things for those of us with empathy. Take that shit back to Reddit.

      • @chakan2@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        -171 day ago

        It’s a pitbull…it’s a rage filled box with a jaw built for killing. The thing is built to fight, mame, and murder.

        I totally understand this guy, I had a neighbor that had them. Every time a kid walked by their house their dogs would go into a ballistic frothy rage trying to get over their fence and get at said kid.

        If I have to choose between the dog and a kid, the choice is easy.

        • TimeSquirrel
          link
          fedilink
          101 day ago

          Alligators are built to tear your limbs off and rip your flesh from your bones. Doesn’t mean I’m going to murder one for no reason.

            • Tarquinn2049
              link
              fedilink
              31 day ago

              To be fair, for a wild animal, relocation is an option.

              But for a pet alligator, no I wouldn’t kill it. I would call it in to the people equipped to handle it properly, just like if I had a problem with a neighbours dog. It can suck to get authorities involved, but it’s certainly better than just killing it myself like a crazy person.

              I don’t get how killing it yourself even comes up as an option unless you relish the idea of killing something but are usually stymied by circumstance into it “no longer” seeming like a good idea.

              • @chakan2@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                -51 day ago

                You’ve clearly never had to call the cops on a dog. If they show up at all they’ll happily tell you they can’t do anything about the dog and call them back next time just in case they can happen to catch the dog actually attacking someone.

                • Tarquinn2049
                  link
                  fedilink
                  31 day ago

                  Ah sorry, not from the states. Our police are well trained and effective. But I still think even there I probably wouldn’t resort to killing the animal myself, there must be a better option.

          • @chakan2@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            -61 day ago

            Lol…no…I watched one for 3 years trying to jump, claw, and break through a chain link fence to get after the children coming home from school. It almost made it a couple times and there’s not shit I could do about it. One of the pits was ok…this one was fucking psychotic. Same owner, same training, one dog was fucking nuts.

        • femtech
          link
          fedilink
          324 hours ago

          You need to go to a therapist about your anger issues.

    • Tarquinn2049
      link
      fedilink
      81 day ago

      While it’s entirely possible to raise a pit bull that way, I have never personally seen a dangerous one. Breed of dog is a pretty small part of their eventual behaviour.

        • Tarquinn2049
          link
          fedilink
          6
          edit-2
          1 day ago

          I’m gonna guess you are using the statistics that include animals specifically chosen and treated as offensive animals on purpose. And not statistics based purely on pet ownership, since those stats also don’t lie, but tell my side of the story.

          Statistics may not lie, but you do have to know what they are actually saying.

          • @chakan2@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            -61 day ago

            They say that the pitbull alone is responsible for over 50% of attacks. Even if you control that for just pet ownership, it’s still a HUGE majority of attacks.

            The point to all this…This guy took out a dangerous animal. It’s a non-story…there’s plenty of other much bigger issues to go after Republicans on.

  • Media Bias Fact CheckerB
    link
    fedilink
    -71 day ago
    Raw Story - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)

    Information for Raw Story:

    MBFC: Left - Credibility: High - Factual Reporting: High - United States of America
    Wikipedia about this source

    The Guardian - News Source Context (Click to view Full Report)

    Information for The Guardian:

    MBFC: Left-Center - Credibility: Medium - Factual Reporting: Mixed - United Kingdom
    Wikipedia about this source

    Search topics on Ground.News

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/24/project-2025-kevin-roberts-killed-dog
    https://www.rawstory.com/kevin-roberts-project-2025/

    Media Bias Fact Check | bot support