I think a Donald Trump presidency raises a new kind of version of conservatism which more closely resembles a kind of Father Coughlin, America first populism and nativism and isolationism, than the confident, modern, cosmopolitan, thoughtful, engaged conservatism of Ronald Reagan and Paul Ryan.
Bret StephensI have been writing about Hillary Clinton, I just actually looked this up, since 1998 when she was busy standing by when Suha Arafat was launching anti-Semitic tirades against Israel and the Jews.
Bret StephensHillary Clinton, as awful as I find her, is a survivable event. I'm not so sure about [Donald] Trump.
Bret StephensThe United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy.
Bret StephensWhat is absolutely clear is that if Trump is the nominee, Republicans cannot win. Maybe they can't win with Rubio or Cruz or Kasich. We don't know. But what is absolutely certain is that with Hillary Clinton locking up the Democratic base, she is going to win unless she has a strong contender who is going to be able to pull - not only bring the entire Republican Party on the side, but win moderates. Donald Trump cannot do that.
Bret StephensWhen George W. Bush decided to save the American position in Iraq by going against the advice of all of his wise men, of Jim Baker and the whole Iraq Study Group, and 90% of his administration, that was George W. Bush's decision. So we have to bear in mind that this isn't an administration we're electing. It's a person that we are electing.
Bret StephensHillary Clinton's record in office is dreadful. Her ideas are dreadful. They will make us less safe. So, but there is no way I'm going to vote for a guy who is just totally uninformed, un-presidential as Donald Trump is.
Bret StephensThe dismissal of any of these people would send a useful signal to U.S. allies that the president has the nerve - and self-awareness - to make a change.
Bret StephensWhen it comes to trade, when it comes to standing up to countries like North Korea, when it comes to standing up to guys like Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump is not a conservative.
Bret StephensI don't think the Republican Party, or I should say the Republican Party as the vehicle for modern American conservative ideas, survives with Donald Trump.
Bret StephensI think a Donald Trump presidency sets up an Elizabeth Warren ascendancy. And it not Elizabeth Warren, someone of her ilk. And I think that's dreadful.
Bret StephensWho knows better than you what it means to have a commander-in-chief who lived his entire life, who lived throughout the entire Cold War, and doesn't know what the nuclear triad is? It's absolutely astonishing. And so it's terrific to have Joe Dunford and you know, perhaps John Bolton and other people in positions of trust.
Bret StephensIf, in 2008, I could have not been in equities, I wouldn't have been in equities. If I could have not bet on the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, I wouldn't have bet on the Seahawks. Life and statesmanship are not lived with the benefit of hindsight.
Bret StephensIn the Middle East there are two kinds of regimes - those that could be worse, and those that couldn't be worse.
Bret Stephens