--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think a Donald Trump presidency raises…" description: "\"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 po..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg" --- # I think a Donald Trump presidency raises a new kind of… ![“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.” quote by Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg) > “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 Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trump-era conservatism mirrors early 20th‑century populist nativism more than post‑war cosmopolitan conservatism. **In simple terms:** Trump’s style is more nationalist and isolationist than Reagan’s. Key Takeaway Recognize the shift in conservative rhetoric. Themes politics ideology populism nationalism historical comparison Mood critical analytical Type political commentary analysis When to use this quote - campaign strategy - policy analysis - public discourse - voter education Key Concepts nativism isolationism media influence party realignment Questions to Reflect On - How does populist rhetoric reshape party identity? - What are the long‑term effects of isolationist policies? A Different Perspective This view may overlook policy nuances and intra‑party diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Conservatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatism/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Isolationism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolationism/) [Populism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/populism/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thoughtful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughtful/) ## Related quotes > [“Instead, we demonize them, marginalize them, blame them for our country’s problems. We knew all of this before the last election, but we quickly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-flake/instead-we-demonize-them-marginalize-them-blame-them-for-our-country/) [Jeff Flake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-flake/) > [In the scale of American blunders - from the Dred Scott decision to the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s to the tragedy of Vietnam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/in-the-scale-of-american-blunders-from-the-dred-scott-decision-to-the/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [A Trump presidency - neutral between dictatorships and democracies, opposed to free trade, skeptical of traditional U.S. defense alliances, hostile to immigration - would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/a-trump-presidency-neutral-between-dictatorships-and-democracies/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [I think a Donald Trump presidency sets up an Elizabeth Warren ascendancy. And it not Elizabeth Warren, someone of her ilk. And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-sets-up-an-elizabeth-warren/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [“Sanders was unequivocal. A Donald Trump presidency was too dangerous a concept for third-party politics or protest votes. Earlier in the day, he’d sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-yates-sexton/sanders-was-unequivocal-a-donald-trump-presidency-was-too-dangerous-a/) [Jared Yates Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-yates-sexton/) > [In a way I never did with George W. Bush or Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, I will write about the actions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/in-a-way-i-never-did-with-george-w-bush-or-barack-obama-or-bill/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [Any reasonable person looking at the policy results... the substance... the facts would agree that the Trump presidency is one of the most successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/any-reasonable-person-looking-at-the-policy-results-the-substance-the/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [What he's saying is that a Trump presidency will address those kind of things head on without caving into the special interests like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/what-he-s-saying-is-that-a-trump-presidency-will-address-those-kind/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [I'm deeply concerned. And I think, in many ways, the Trump presidency poses a clear and present danger to our country and to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-m-deeply-concerned-and-i-think-in-many-ways-the-trump-presidency/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Women likely are rejecting Trump because they know the presidential race isn't just about taxes or ISIL or immigration. It's about their place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-powers/women-likely-are-rejecting-trump-because-they-know-the-presidential/) [Kirsten Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-powers/) > [I think Trump's presidency represents a completely different model than what we're used to. And I think to your point, yes, he is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/i-think-trump-s-presidency-represents-a-completely-different-model/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [A Trump presidency will plunge the United States into an era of unknowns that has little parallel in the nation's 240-year history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/a-trump-presidency-will-plunge-the-united-states-into-an-era-of/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [A Trump presidency feels as if we've crawled between the covers of a really crummy book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/a-trump-presidency-feels-as-if-we-ve-crawled-between-the-covers-of-a/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [The left's panic and politicization of the coronavirus is not unusual. It is the typical reaction for a party and a media hoping desperately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-left-s-panic-and-politicization-of-the-coronavirus-is-not-unusual/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [“virtually the entire senior staff and cabinet of the Trump presidency, past and present, had traveled through the stages of adventure, challenge, frustration, battle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/virtually-the-entire-senior-staff-and-cabinet-of-the-trump-presidency/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## More by Bret Stephens > [The hater always suffers more than the object of his hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-hater-always-suffers-more-than-the-object-of-his-hatred/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Listen carefully to the global warming alarmists, and the main theme that emerges is that what the developed world needs is a large dose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/listen-carefully-to-the-global-warming-alarmists-and-the-main-theme/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > ['Democratic socialism' is awful as a slogan and catastrophic as a policy. And 'social democracy' - a term that better fits the belief of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/democratic-socialism-is-awful-as-a-slogan-and-catastrophic-as-a/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [When you work at 'The Wall Street Journal,' the coins of the realm are truth and trust - the latter flowing exclusively from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-you-work-at-the-wall-street-journal-the-coins-of-the-realm-are/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [No adviser to a president is going to get his way all of the time, but at a minimum, that adviser should be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/no-adviser-to-a-president-is-going-to-get-his-way-all-of-the-time-but/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Every president inherits a mixed bag when he comes to office, and Obama's was hardly the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/every-president-inherits-a-mixed-bag-when-he-comes-to-office-and/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [There was a time when the conservative movement was led by the likes of Bill Buckley and Irving Kristol and Bob Bartley, men of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/there-was-a-time-when-the-conservative-movement-was-led-by-the-likes/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [We elected Donald J. Trump to keep us jittery and entertained. He's delivered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/we-elected-donald-j-trump-to-keep-us-jittery-and-entertained-he-s/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-united-states-survives-so-long-as-at-least-one-of-its-major/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Censoriously asserting one's moral superiority and treating skeptics as imbeciles and deplorables wins few converts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/censoriously-asserting-one-s-moral-superiority-and-treating-skeptics/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [What is absolutely clear is that if Trump is the nominee, Republicans cannot win. Maybe they can't win with Rubio or Cruz or Kasich.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/what-is-absolutely-clear-is-that-if-trump-is-the-nominee-republicans/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Everything Republicans once claimed to advocate - entitlement reform, free trade, standing up to dictators, encouraging the march of freedom around the world -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/everything-republicans-once-claimed-to-advocate-entitlement-reform/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The best scientific evidence suggests temperatures are rising, and the best scientific evidence suggests man-made anthropogenic carbon emissions have some substantial thing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-best-scientific-evidence-suggests-temperatures-are-rising-and-the/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [The intelligent defense of free speech should not rest on the notion that we must tolerate every form of speech, no matter how offensive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/the-intelligent-defense-of-free-speech-should-not-rest-on-the-notion/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [When George W. Bush decided to save the American position in Iraq by going against the advice of all of his wise men, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/when-george-w-bush-decided-to-save-the-american-position-in-iraq-by/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) [Explore all 118 Bret Stephens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bret Stephens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises-a-new-kind-of-version-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises-a-new-kind-of-version-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/bret-stephens-3977_america_i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises_1602614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think a Donald Trump presidency raises a new kind of version of conservatism which more closely resembles…” — Bret Stephens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bret Stephens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think a Donald Trump presidency...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises-a-new-kind-of-version-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/i-think-a-donald-trump-presidency-raises-a-new-kind-of-version-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```