Written by: Gloria Kosir
Bret Stephens, an opinion columnist for The New York Times and winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, spoke at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City on Oct. 21 as the Fall 2025 Levitt Lecture speaker.
Levitt Lectures are a series of conversations with highly distinguished speakers organized by the University of Iowa College of Law, and funded by a generous gift from the Levitt family. This semester, Stephens discussed a slew of topics ranging from the state of America’s democracy to the war between Israel and Hamas. He was joined by Iowa Public Radio’s River to River host, Ben Kieffer, and an audience of several hundred people.
Prior to joining The Times in 2017, Stephens held editorial positions at The Jerusalem Post and The Wall Street Journal. He is also the author of the book America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder. Stephens prides himself on being an independent thinker and critic of both sides of the political spectrum.
In his discussion with Kieffer, Stephens spoke about his concerns regarding the rise of “an illiberal side to politics [that] exists on both sides of the political divide.” He also dissected his political philosophy, elaborating on his position as a “member of the conservative wing of the liberal church.”
During the lecture, Stephens called himself a proud Zionist and commented on his foreign policy opinions considering the recent ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. He also answered questions from the audience regarding the conflict and discussed generational shifts in U.S. public opinion, particularly in a university context.
While Stephens and Kieffer spent the bulk of the time talking about modern-day politics, their conversation also reached contemporary topics like social media, misinformation, and the impact of artificial intelligence on writing and journalism.
In a lighter moment, Stephens shared a connection he had to the state of Iowa.
In addition to winning the 2013 Pulitzer Prize, Stephens also served as chair of the jury that decided the 2017 prize for editorial writing—a prize that went to Iowa native, journalist, and columnist Art Cullen.
“It was immediately obvious to me that [Cullen's] work was head and shoulders the best work of the year ... I called him and said, ‘I chaired that jury—it wasn’t even close,’” Stephens said, recalling his involvement in the process. Cullen is the co-owner of The Storm Lake Times and author of the winning 2016 editorials regarding corporate agriculture in Iowa.
More highlights from the lecture can be found by listening to the Oct. 24 episode of IPR’s River to River. Listen online or where you get your podcasts.
The next Levitt Lecture will feature David Axelrod, the former chief strategist and senior advisor to President Barack Obama, on April 28, 2026. Tickets are free and will be available to the public from the Hancher box office in the spring.
