NYT conservative calls out GOP hypocrites on Strzok: 'There's a reason they're called the stupid party'

New York Times columnist Bret Stephens called out Republicans for attacking FBI agent Peter Strzok over his private political views -- which many of them shared before Donald Trump won the GOP nomination.

The conservative columnist told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that even Vice President Mike Pence warned that Trump must not be allowed to win the nomination, yet agreed to become his running mate and serve alongside the former reality TV star in the White House.

"There's a reason Republicans are called the stupid party," Stephens said. "My old colleague at the Wall Street Journal, Holman Jenkins, used to say there are certain ideas that vanish in the presence of thought."

Stephens said the entire premise of the hearing was ridiculous.

"The idea there was a bias at the FBI toward Hillary Clinton is simply refuted by the fact that the FBI was the one agency of government which played a decisive role in getting Donald Trump elected," Stephens said.

The columnist reminded viewers that Pence had been anti-Trump during the Republican primaries.

"You know, our friend on this show, Dan Senor, tweeted about a year ago that as late as February or March of 2016, a certain Indiana governor was saying to him that Donald Trump must not be allowed to become the nominee of the Republican Party," Stephens said.

"So if Vice President Pence is allowed to have that bias up until march of 2016," he added, "why is agent Strzok not allowed to have it up until the summer of that year? I can name dozens of prominent Republicans, including people who then are now serving in this administration, who thought exactly as agent Strzok did throughout the 2016 election. Maybe they should step down from office."