History of Bret Stephens in Timeline

Bret Stephens is an American right-wing columnist and journalist. He is an opinion columnist for The New York Times and a senior contributor to NBC News, both since 2017. He also became the inaugural editor-in-chief of SAPIR: A Journal of Jewish Conversations in 2021.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1901: Birth of Louis Ehrlich

In 1901, Louis Ehrlich, Bret Stephens' paternal grandfather, was born in Kishinev (Chișinău, Moldova). He later fled to New York and changed his name to Stephens.

1938: Comparison to Munich Agreement

Bret Stephens has argued against the Iran nuclear deal, claiming that they are a worse bargain even than the 1938 Munich Agreement with Nazi Germany.

November 21, 1973: Bret Stephens Born

On November 21, 1973, Bret Louis Stephens was born. He is now known as an American right-wing columnist and journalist.

Others born on this day/year

1988: Reference to Hamas Charter

Bret Stephens refers to the 1988 Hamas charter in an opinion piece, using it to support his claim that Hamas is a genocidal organization.

1995: Assistant Editor at Commentary Magazine

In 1995, Bret Stephens began his career as an assistant editor at Commentary magazine.

1998: Joins The Wall Street Journal

In 1998, Bret Stephens joined The Wall Street Journal as an op-ed editor.

2002: Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post

In 2002, Bret Stephens became the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.

2002: Column on Iraq's Nuclear Threat

In 2002, Bret Stephens wrote a column stating that Iraq was likely to become the first nuclear power in the Arab world unless checked.

2003: Advocacy for Iraq War

In 2003, Bret Stephens was a "prominent voice" among media advocates for the start of the Iraq War.

2004: Leaves The Jerusalem Post

In 2004, Bret Stephens left The Jerusalem Post and returned to The Wall Street Journal.

2004: Returns to The Wall Street Journal

In 2004, Bret Stephens left The Jerusalem Post and returned to The Wall Street Journal.

2005: Publication of a study on Ashkenazi Jewish intelligence

In 2005, an academic study was published which advanced a genetic hypothesis for the basis of intelligence among Ashkenazi Jews, and which Bret Stephens would cite in a later article.

2005: Young Global Leader

In 2005, the World Economic Forum named Bret Stephens a Young Global Leader.

2006: Takes over Global View Column

In 2006, Bret Stephens took over the Journal's "Global View" column.

2008: Eric Breindel Award

In 2008, Bret Stephens won the Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism.

2009: Deputy Editorial Page Editor

In 2009, Bret Stephens was named deputy editorial page editor after Melanie Kirkpatrick's retirement.

2010: Bastiat Prize

In 2010, Bret Stephens won the Reason Foundation's Bastiat Prize.

2013: Defense of Bush Administration's Evidence

As late as 2013, Bret Stephens continued to insist that the Bush administration had "solid evidence" for going to war in Iraq, despite the absence of weapons of mass destruction.

2013: Pulitzer Prize for Commentary

In 2013, Bret Stephens won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary at The Wall Street Journal.

2013: Protest Over Pulitzer Citation

In 2013, there was a protest over Bret Stephens's Pulitzer citation omitting his climate change columns.

November 2014: Release of America in Retreat

In November 2014, Bret Stephens's book "America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder" was released. In it, he argues that the US has been retreating from its role as the "world's policeman."

America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder

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2015: Joins the Real-Time Academy of Short Form Arts & Sciences

In 2015, Bret Stephens joined the Real-Time Academy of Short Form Arts & Sciences, which judges contestants for the Shorty Awards honoring individuals and organizations on social media.

August 2016: "Disease of the Arab Mind" Column

In August 2016, The Wall Street Journal published a column by Bret Stephens in which he called antisemitism "the disease of the Arab mind", drawing criticism for racist generalization.

2016: Part of Stop Trump Movement

During the 2016 United States presidential election campaign, Bret Stephens became part of the Stop Trump movement, regularly writing articles opposing Donald Trump's candidacy.

2016: Chairs Pulitzer Jury

In 2016, Bret Stephens chaired the Pulitzer jury that awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting to Alyssa Rubin of The New York Times.

February 2017: Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture

In February 2017, Bret Stephens gave the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture at UCLA, denouncing Donald Trump's attacks on the media.

2017: Joins The New York Times and NBC News

In 2017, Bret Stephens became an opinion columnist for The New York Times and a senior contributor to NBC News.

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2017: Chairs Pulitzer Jury

In 2017, Bret Stephens chaired the jury that awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing to Art Cullen of The Storm Lake Times.

2017: Backlash Against Hiring by The New York Times

In 2017, there was a strong backlash against Bret Stephens's hiring by The New York Times due to his positions on climate change.

2018: Calls for Trump's Impeachment

In 2018, Bret Stephens argued that by the same logic Republicans used to justify the impeachment of Bill Clinton, they should impeach Trump.

August 2019: Bedbug Tweet Controversy

In August 2019, Bret Stephens sent a complaint about a tweet where a professor called him a "bedbug", leading to a column about "rhetoric of infestation", attention online, and a tweet from then-president Donald Trump.

December 2019: "The Secrets of Jewish Genius" Controversy

In December 2019, Bret Stephens published a column titled "The Secrets of Jewish Genius," leading to accusations of eugenics and racism. The New York Times later deleted a section of the column.

February 2021: Criticism of Donald McNeil Dismissal

In February 2021, Bret Stephens wrote a column critical of The New York Times's dismissal of Donald McNeil. The column was spiked but leaked to the New York Post.

2021: Editor-in-Chief of SAPIR

In 2021, Bret Stephens became editor-in-chief of SAPIR: A Journal of Jewish Conversations, published by Maimonides Fund.

October 28, 2022: Acceptance of Climate Change Reality

As of October 28, 2022, Bret Stephens stated that he had come to accept the reality of anthropogenic climate change after a trip to Greenland with climate scientist John Englander.

2023: Speaks at University of Chicago's Class Day

In 2023, Bret Stephens spoke at the University of Chicago's Class Day, during convocation weekend. His invitation provoked backlash for his views about Israel.

2024: Calls for Wishing the New Administration Well

After the 2024 United States presidential election, Bret Stephens published an opinion article in The New York Times, calling for critics to wish the new administration well.