What Happened to the Republican Party?
Former Sen. Jeff Flake discusses how Trump reshaped the GOP, why populism betrayed conservative values, and why he believes the system can still be reformed.
The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie goes deep with the artists, activists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and visionaries who are making the world more libertarian—or at least more interesting—by challenging worn-out ideas and orthodoxies.
Today's guest is Jeff Flake, former Arizona senator and U.S. ambassador to Turkey, and now head of the brand-new Institute of Politics at Arizona State University. Flake made national headlines in 2017 when he delivered a searing Senate floor speech announcing he would not seek reelection and declaring he would not be complicit in the "degradation of our politics" under Donald Trump and MAGA.
A lifelong conservative, Flake built his career on defending free markets, free trade, limited government, and pro-immigration policies—positions that put him at odds with a Republican Party drifting toward populism and protectionism. We talk about why he chose principle over power (and how he feels about that now), his time representing the U.S. in Turkey as Russia invaded Ukraine, his push for reforming America's broken political system, and why he believes the fever of grievance politics must—and eventually will—break.
Past appearances:
"Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on Immigration, Cuba, and the Future of the Republican Party," July 2011
"Pork Party House: Where DC insiders go for taxpayer-subsidized fun," March 2010
0:00—Introduction
1:29—The state of the GOP under President Donald Trump
8:41—Did Flake's conservative principles irritate Trump?
12:14—The case for more immigration
21:27—The connection between immigration and trade
26:25—Globalism in the era of nationalism
34:26—Ambassador to Turkey
38:05—The importance of Ukraine's independence
40:51—The Trump foreign policy philosophy
44:02—Reacting to political violence
47:57—How to reform the political system
58:33—Arizona State Institute of Politics
- Producer: Paul Alexander
- Audio Mixer: Ian Keyser
