Heritage praised Duda for strengthening Poland’s military posture and boosting its defense spending during his two terms in office between 2015 and 2025, portraying him as a model of sovereignty-focused leadership at a time of “heightened geopolitical risk.”
“President Duda governed with a clear-eyed understanding of what nations owe their people: secure borders, public safety, and the courage to stand up to self-appointed global elites. We are pleased to welcome him to Heritage at a moment when the future of the West depends on nations that still remember who they serve,” Heritage’s Kevin Roberts said in a statement.
Heritage is an influential conservative think thank in the U.S. that has become closely associated with the MAGA movement around President Donald Trump, promoting hard-right-wing views on borders, national sovereignty and culture war issues. It authored the controversial Project 2025 roadmap for the second Trump presidency.
As president, Duda openly courted Trump, including by proposing a permanent U.S. military base in Poland dubbed “Fort Trump.”
In a statement for Heritage, Duda said he was “honored” to join the think tank: “I look forward to contributing that experience to Heritage’s long-standing work advancing conservative policy solutions for Europe.”
Duda’s political camp, the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, is enthusiastic about Trump and MAGA politics. PiS officials have long echoed Trump’s political rhetoric, voiced support for his “Board of Peace,” and praised his administration’s hugely controversial crackdown on immigrants.