Simpson received applause when he advocated that Republicans drop the stance against pro-choice views from their platform.
“I’m a conservative, but I’m pro-choice,” he said. “This is a highly sensitive personal issue.”
Kristol said Roe v. Wade will become a more peripheral issue for the Republican Party as national security and civil liberties come to the fore.
This change would make it easier for someone like former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a pro-choice Republican, to run for national political office, Kristol said.
In the question session at the end of the forum, a student said that while he held conservative views, he was disenchanted with the current Republican leadership.
Kristol replied, “We could use some turnover in the Republican leadership.”