Krauthammer: The GOP 'experienced the biggest ideological earthquake of a major party in our lifetime'

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Krauthammer: Republicans have'

Krauthammer: 'Republicans have experienced the biggest ideological earthquake of a major party in our lifetime'

Charles Krauthammer told viewers Friday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that when it comes to Donald Trump’s presidential run, “Republicans have experienced the biggest ideological earthquake of a major party in our lifetime.”

Krauthammer cited comments by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Thursday in which Ryan said he’s not yet prepared to support Trump.

“I think it’s true that there are tactical reasons for Ryan doing this to protect his members,” Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor, said.

“The more cynical comments have been about [Ryan] looking for his own run for 2020, in the future; he is trying to appease his donors. I think that is rubbish.”

“The Republicans have experienced the biggest ideological earthquake of a major party in our lifetime. Fifty, 60 years of conservatism has now yielded to a leader who is not a conservative, but who is a populist. That’s a big deal. And I think what the Ryan statement is… if the party is now going to be split between the leader, the populist, and the old-line conservatives… he wants to establish a center of power and a kind of home for the conservative wing,” Krauthammer said.