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.


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    • TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org
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      1 month 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
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        1 month 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@kbin.melroy.org
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          1 month 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.

          • chakan2@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            Would you murder it if it’s constantly in your backyard chasing your kids? I bet so.

            • Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world
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              1 month 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
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                1 month 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@lemmy.world
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                  1 month 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
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                    1 month ago

                    You can mace the shit out of them and pray, but it doesn’t really solve the problem for next time.

          • chakan2@lemmy.world
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            1 month 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.

          • chakan2@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            I did…the therapist said don’t live next to people that own pitbulls.

    • Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world
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      1 month 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@lemmy.world
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          1 month 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
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            1 month 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.