"As conservatives, our first obligation is to be honest"

“It seems that we’ve been compromised, but this time by different forces — those of populism and protectionism, isolationism, xenophobia and I’m concerned about how we remain a governing party with those principles,” he said.

He also said he thinks the party has become “coarser.”

“Being a conservative isn’t just adopting conservative policies,” he said. “I think it matters in terms of demeanor and comportment.”