Bill Kristol Warns of Republican Party’s Transformation Under Donald Trump

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol says the Republican Party has changed dramatically during Donald Trump’s ten-year presidency. He argues that the party’s current corruption surpasses the 1974 Watergate scandal, describing it as “100 times” more severe, and notes a persistent loyalty among a radical 30 percent of the base.

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In 1974, Republicans helped end President Richard Nixon’s Watergate misconduct. Kristol contrasts that episode with today, saying Watergate was only “1/100th” of the wrongdoing he sees under Trump. He also points out that Congress is now Democratic-controlled, yet the Republican Party remains divided and increasingly aligned with Trump’s agenda.

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• Bill Kristol – Conservative commentator and former editor of *The Weekly Standard*.

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• Donald Trump – Former president whose tenure Kristol critiques.

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• Sarah Longwell – Publisher of *The Bulwark*, interviewer.

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• National Review – Conservative magazine noted for withdrawing support for Trump.

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• Barry Goldwater – Historical Republican figure referenced by Kristol as part of past party leadership.

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Kristol told Bulwark publisher Sarah Longwell that Trump’s ten-year tenure fundamentally changed the party’s character. He observed that leading conservative columnists and outlets, including *National Review*, have largely withdrawn support for Trump. Kristol also noted the party no longer receives the internal signals that previously marked limits on misconduct, and he linked current immigration policies to broader bigotry rather than solely to immigrant issues.

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Kristol criticizes the party’s stance on birthright citizenship, mass deportations, and related immigration measures, calling them outright bigotry. He also cites alleged “crypto schemes” involving Trump’s family and the possibility of selling presidential pardons for money, describing these as part of a broader corruption pattern. He warns that public support is eroding, leaving only a radical minority aligned with “Trumpism.”

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• “Ten years of Trump as president … has made a huge difference,” — Bill Kristol, Conservative Commentator

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• “[Barry] Goldwater, famously, [Republican Senate leader] Hugh Scott went to the White House. The leading conservative columnists and thinkers in America ... Even the [conservative] National Review, by the end of it, was basically for him leaving office. And incidentally Watergate was 1/100th of the stuff that's happening now.,” — Bill Kristol

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• “You're not getting any signals that … [you’re normally] getting from decent Republicans [that] things are going too far, or maybe ‘we really don’t like the shooting of Alex Pretti or Renee Goode in Minneapolis,’” — Bill Kristol

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• “… They are fighting hard for their version of America, and it's not my America.” — Bill Kristol

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Kristol warns that the party’s alignment with Trump may deepen internal fractures and reduce broader electoral appeal. He suggests that the loss of traditional Republican checks could enable further ethical breaches. Continued adherence to the current platform, he predicts, could isolate the Republican Party from moderate voters and reinforce perceptions of systemic corruption.

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