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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  • Coelacanth@feddit.nu
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    2 months ago

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

    • MrFappy@lemmy.world
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      2 months 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@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months 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@lemmy.world
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      2 months 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)

    • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I hope the owner of the dog seeks bloody and brutal retribution, if someone did that to one of my dogs theyd have to be burried in mason jars.

  • grte@lemmy.ca
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    2 months 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
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      2 months 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.

  • DandomRude@lemmy.world
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    2 months 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.

  • TimLovesTech (AuDHD)(he/him)@badatbeing.social
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    2 months 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@kbin.melroy.org
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      2 months 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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        2 months 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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          2 months 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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            2 months 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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              2 months 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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                2 months 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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                  2 months 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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            2 months 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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            2 months ago

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

    • Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world
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      2 months 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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          2 months 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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            2 months 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.