Bill Kristol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Kristol
|
|
|---|---|
Kristol in 2011
|
|
| Chief of Staff to the Vice President | |
| In office January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 |
|
| Vice President | Dan Quayle |
| Preceded by | Craig Fuller |
| Succeeded by | Roy Neel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Kristol
December 23, 1952 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (1980–2020) |
| Spouse |
Susan Scheinberg
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Matthew Continetti (son-in-law) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, PhD) |
William Kristol (born December 23, 1952) is an American writer and political expert. He often shares his opinions on TV channels like CNN. He started and was a main editor for the political magazine The Weekly Standard. Today, Kristol is an editor for The Bulwark, a website that shares political news and ideas. Since 2014, he has hosted Conversations with Bill Kristol, an online show where he interviews important people.
Kristol helped stop a big healthcare plan in 1993. He also supported the idea of going to war in Iraq in 2003. He has worked with many groups that study public policy, called think tanks. He helped start the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) in 1997. He is also involved with other groups that focus on politics and foreign policy.
Kristol has been a strong critic of former President Donald Trump. He supported the Never Trump movement, which was against Trump becoming president. He also helped create Defending Democracy Together, a group that works to protect democracy.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Kristol was born in New York City on December 23, 1952. His family was Jewish. His father, Irving Kristol, was a well-known editor and publisher. Many people called his father the "godfather of neoconservatism" because of his ideas. His mother, Gertrude Himmelfarb, was a famous historian.
Kristol went to the Collegiate School for Boys in Manhattan. After that, he studied at Harvard University. He earned a bachelor's degree in government in 1973. Later, he received a PhD in political science in 1979.
Kristol's Career in Government
.jpg)
In 1970, Kristol worked as an intern at the White House. Later, in 1976, he helped with a Senate campaign. In 1988, he managed a Senate campaign in Maryland.
After teaching at universities, Kristol started working in government in 1985. He was the chief of staff for Secretary of Education William Bennett. This was during the time Ronald Reagan was president. Later, he became the chief of staff for Vice President Dan Quayle. This was when George H. W. Bush was president. Some people even called him "Dan Quayle's brain" because of his important role.
From 1993 to 1994, Kristol led a project for the Republican Party. In 1993, he strongly opposed President Bill Clinton's healthcare plan. In 2003, Kristol wrote a book called The War Over Iraq with Lawrence F. Kaplan. The book explained why they supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also advised Senator John McCain on foreign policy during his 2008 presidential campaign.
Kristol as a Media Commentator
After Republicans won many seats in Congress in 1994, Kristol helped start The Weekly Standard magazine. A businessman named Rupert Murdoch helped pay for it. From 1996, Kristol was a regular guest on the ABC news show This Week.
In 2007, Kristol wrote columns for Time magazine. The next year, he started writing for The New York Times. He wrote a weekly opinion column for The New York Times from January 2008 to January 2009.
For ten years, Kristol was a regular guest on Fox News Sunday. He also often appeared on Special Report with Bret Baier. In 2013, his contract with Fox News ended. After that, he became a popular guest on many different news channels. In 2014, he became a contributor for ABC News.
Kristol's Online Interviews
Since 2014, Kristol has hosted an online interview show called Conversations with Bill Kristol. He talks with important people from universities and public life. The show has long discussions, often lasting more than an hour. This allows guests to share their knowledge and ideas in detail.
The show is produced by the Foundation for Constitutional Government. This group works to promote the study of politics. Kristol is known for being a key voice in American politics. The show has featured many different guests, including scholars, journalists, and political experts. Some regular guests include Garry Kasparov and Anne Applebaum. New episodes are released every two weeks.
Kristol's Political Views
Kristol played a big part in stopping President Clinton's healthcare plan in 1993. He wrote memos telling Republicans to "kill" the plan, not just change it. He also used the phrase "There is no health care crisis," which was later used by a Senate leader.
Kristol strongly supported the Iraq War. In 1998, he and other experts wrote a letter to President Clinton. They urged a stronger approach against Iraq. Kristol believed that Saddam Hussein was a serious threat. He argued that the U.S. needed to remove Saddam Hussein from power. In 1998, he and Robert Kagan wrote that "bombing Iraq isn't enough" and called for an invasion.
In the 2000 presidential election, Kristol supported John McCain. He said he preferred McCain because of his leadership on foreign policy. After the George W. Bush administration responded to the September 11 attacks, Kristol said it was "the creation of a new American foreign policy." He strongly supported the decision to go to war with Iraq. In 2003, he wrote The War Over Iraq to explain why Saddam should be removed. He predicted a "two-month war, not an eight-year war."
As the situation in Iraq became more difficult in 2004, Kristol argued for sending more U.S. troops. He also criticized the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, for mistakes in planning the war. In 2006, he and Rich Lowry wrote that more American troops could make a difference in Baghdad. This was an early call for what became the Iraq War troop surge of 2007. In 2008, Kristol wrote that the troop surge was successful, even though many experts had opposed it.
.jpg)
Kristol was one of many conservatives who opposed President Bush's choice for the U.S. Supreme Court, Harriet Miers. He said he was "disappointed" and felt the choice showed "cronyism." He also strongly supported the 2006 Lebanon War. Kristol was a big supporter of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate in 2008. However, he later said that she would not have been a good vice president.
Kristol has supported strong sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear program. In 2006, he suggested a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites. In 2010, he criticized the Obama administration for not taking Iran seriously enough. He argued for a serious discussion about attacking Iran's nuclear program versus letting them have nuclear weapons.
In 2010, when U.S. diplomatic cables were leaked, Kristol spoke strongly against the organization that leaked them. He suggested using "our various assets to harass, snatch, or neutralize Julian Assange and his collaborators." In 2011, he wrote that U.S. military actions in Muslim countries should be called "liberations," not "invasions." Kristol supported President Barack Obama's decision to get involved in the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
During the Iran–Israel war, Kristol supported military action against Iran. He said, "You’ve got to go to war with the president you have." He also claimed that the neoconservative movement had been revived after Trump seemed to support changing the government in Iran.
Kristol's Opposition to Donald Trump
.jpg)
Kristol strongly opposed Donald Trump becoming the Republican candidate for president in 2016. He has continued to dislike the Trump administration's policies. He has also been upset with other Republicans who supported Trump.
In January 2019, Kristol criticized Trump's plan to remove U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. In December 2019, Kristol and a group called Republicans for the Rule of Law released an advertisement. It asked people to call their Senators to demand that Trump officials testify in his impeachment trial.
In March 2020, Kristol supported Joe Biden for President of the United States. Kristol is a founding director of Republican Voters Against Trump. This group was started in May 2020. On October 15, 2020, Kristol voted for the Democratic candidates. He said he had "no regrets at all" about his vote.
In 2021, Kristol said he identified more as a former Republican. In January 2024, his group Defending Democracy Together spent a lot of money to support Nikki Haley and run ads against Trump. After Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee for U.S. President, Kristol supported her on The Bulwark.
Personal Life
William Kristol has been married to Susan Scheinberg since 1975. They met when they were both students at Harvard. Susan has a PhD in classics. They have three children. Their daughter, Anne, is married to a writer named Matthew Continetti. Their son, Joseph, served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan. He later worked for a company called McKinsey & Company before working for Senator Tom Cotton. Kristol lives in McLean, Virginia.
Published Works
- The Weekly Standard: A Reader: 1995–2005 (Harper Perennial, 2006). ISBN: 0-06-088285-9
- War Over Iraq: Saddam's Tyranny And America's Mission (Co-author Lawrence F. Kaplan) (Encounter Books, 2003). ISBN: 1-893554-69-4
- Bush v. Gore: The Court Cases and the Commentary (Co-editor E. J. Dionne) (Brookings Institution Press, 2001). ISBN: 0-8157-0107-1
- Homosexuality and American Public Life (Introduction by Kristol, Editor Christopher Wolfe) (Spence Publishing Company, 1999). ISBN: 978-1-890626-23-5
