Bret Stephens Is a Hypocrite for Demanding Apologies for 'Woke' Excesses He Helped Enable
Source: Eddie Scarry. "Bret Stephens Should Apologize For Voting For 'Woke 1'." August 19, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author accuses NYT columnist Bret Stephens of being a hypocrite: Stephens is telling AOC and liberals to apologize for 'woke' excesses, but he himself voted for Biden in 2020 specifically to appease the woke movement, and now refuses to acknowledge or apologize for that decision. The author argues Stephens can't demand accountability from others while dodging accountability for his own political choices.
Conclusion
Bret Stephens should apologize (or at least be held accountable) for his own role in enabling 'Woke 1.0' rather than demanding apologies only from the left while refusing to account for his own vote.
Premises
- Stephens is publicly demanding that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and liberals apologize for the damage caused by 'Woke 1.0' and 'Woke 2.0'.
- In 2020, at the height of 'Woke 1.0' (BLM protests, George Floyd aftermath), Stephens declared himself a 'Biden conservative' and endorsed voting for Biden and other Democrats.
- Stephens explicitly argued at the time that empowering Democrats was necessary to prevent 'Wokesters' from becoming even more empowered if Republicans won.
- The outcomes Stephens attributes to 'woke' policies (inflation, illegal immigration, rising crime) occurred under the administration he helped elect.
- When directly asked by the author whether he regretted his vote or would account for it, Stephens dismissed the question as trolling rather than answering it.
- Therefore, Stephens is being inconsistent/hypocritical by demanding accountability from others while evading accountability for his own contribution to the outcomes he now criticizes.
Assumptions
- Voting for a candidate constitutes meaningful endorsement of and responsibility for that candidate's subsequent policy outcomes, including those from broader ideological movements associated with their party.
- The negative outcomes (inflation, immigration, crime) can be causally and primarily attributed to 'woke' ideology and Biden's presidency rather than other factors.
- Demanding an apology from others obligates a person to also apologize for their own related past positions to maintain intellectual consistency.
- Stephens's 2020 reasoning ('vote for Biden to placate/contain wokeness') is equivalent to actively supporting or causing 'Woke 1.0' rather than attempting to mitigate it.
- Public commentators bear personal accountability for the outcomes of politicians they endorsed, similar to how politicians or movements bear accountability for their stated ideologies.