Controversial GOP think tank leader exits after backlash to radical rebrand
Backlash over his controversial JD Vance-inspired ideological shift has forced a conservative think tank leader to step down, according to a report on Wednesday.
The Bulwark's Joshua Tait described how John A. Burtka IV has resigned as president of Intercollegiate Studies Institute after "rebranding itself around JD Vance style pugnaciousness." The organization was founded in Delaware in 1953, and conservative movement voice William F. Buckley Jr. was its first president.
"Under his leadership, ISI tilted toward an edgier, post-liberal identity, and, according to critics, a 'no enemies to the right' ethos," Tait wrote. ...
May 06, 2026

