National Security News

The Daily Signal provides reports on national and homeland security issues, including military readiness, intelligence operations, border protection, and global conflicts. Featuring news, analysis, and commentary, this section explores how security policy decisions affect America’s national defense and freedom.
Filter articles by
    • Opinion

    How Congress Can Help Protect US Companies From Cyberattack

    One of the fastest growing threats to the United States lies in the realm of cyberspace. With the touch of a button, foreign hackers and malicious governments can deliver blows to the U.S. economy by targeting American companies. Recognizing the need to address this issue, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, asked Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen…
    Paul Fredrick
    Read More
    • News

    FBI’s No. 2 Official Steps Down Amid Growing Suspicions by Trump Allies

    Andrew McCabe, the FBI’s embattled deputy director, announced his resignation Monday ahead of an anticipated inspector general report and likely release of a memo about the FBI’s conduct and use of a surveillance law on his watch. McCabe reportedly has been “removed” from the bureau’s No. 2 position. McCabe had been the FBI’s acting leader…
    Fred Lucas
    Read More
    • News

    The NFL Nixes Veterans’ #PleaseStand Ad for the Super Bowl. The Veterans Are Now Fighting Back.

    The NFL has rejected a Super Bowl magazine advertisement from AMVETS urging people to stand for the national anthem, but the veterans organization isn’t sitting still for that.  The veterans group’s advertisement prominently features the words #PleaseStand, a hashtag deemed “too political” by the National Football League for its game-day program. The NFL reportedly asked…
    Chrissy Clark
    Read More
    • Opinion

    The Government Shutdown Will Further Weaken Our Military

    Congress faced a number of bad options on Friday, when government funding expired for the third time this fiscal year. But lawmakers picked the worst option of all for our military and national security: they decided to let the government shut down. This decision will be incredibly damaging to our national security and to the…
    Frederico Bartels
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Problematic Women: Aziz Ansari Raises New Questions for the #MeToo Movement

    In this week’s edition of “Problematic Women,” co-hosted with Bre Payton of The Federalist, we cover the fallout from the Aziz Ansari story published on Babe.net, the USA Gymnastics scandal and the bravery of the women coming forward to share their stories, a Hollywood celebrity doing something good, and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., “mansplaining” to Homeland…
    Kelsey Bolar
    Read More
    • Opinion

    This Man Gave Free Haircuts to Veterans and Got Clobbered by Regulators

    Few things could be more American than volunteering to help others. So it’s a shame when our altruism is thwarted by another, far more lamentable American trait: big government. Juan Carlos Montes de Oca knows firsthand. A cosmetology student from Tucson, Montes de Oca felt inspired when he heard about a barber in London who…
    Ed Feulner
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Podcast: New Fight Brewing Over DACA and Border Security, and Oprah 2020?

    With government spending soon to run out, some lawmakers want to attach a Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals “fix” to must-pass legislation. Heritage legal expert Hans von Spakovsky discusses why such a move would ignore the lessons of history. We also hear from Hans about why a promising voter fraud commission was suddenly shut down…
    Katrina Trinko
    Read More
    • Opinion

    ‘Internet of Things’ Devices Have Their Security Risks. How Regulators Should Address Them.

    Most Americans own some sort of “smart” device, whether it’s a smartphone, a smart thermostat, or a smart fitness tracker. These devices are benefiting Americans in countless ways, from helping them become more energy-efficient, to saving money and even tracking their health. But many of these devices can also pose a security risk to unsuspecting consumers….
    Riley Walters
    Read More
    • News

    California Is Officially a Sanctuary State

    A sweeping immigration law took effect Monday in California, officially making it the country’s largest sanctuary state. The controversial law, SB 54, passed the state Legislature in September and was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown the following month. It prevents police in California, which has by far the nation’s largest illegal immigrant…
    Will Racke
    Read More
    • News

    Special Counsel and Russia Probe Seen Likely to Carry On

    Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and possible collusion with President Donald Trump’s campaign, could fracture in multiple directions during 2018 and take its toll on both men. “There is no upside for firing Mueller. He has not laid a glove on Trump,” @AndrewCMcCarthy says. For Trump, a prolonged…
    Fred Lucas
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Pentagon’s Decision to Keep Cluster Bombs Preserves Military Readiness, Lethality

    The Pentagon drew sharp but unwarranted criticism earlier this month following its decision to indefinitely delay compliance with a ban on certain kinds of legacy cluster bombs. Cluster bombs remain an important tool in the arsenal for U.S. forces, as they are effective at targeting light armor, massed infantry, and parked aircraft. We should not…
    Thomas Wilson
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Opioids: The Crisis of Our Lifetime

    Eric Hargan is about to get a demotion, and he is just fine with that. The acting secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is more than thrilled to go back to the position he originally held. President Donald Trump tapped him to lead the agency after Tom Price resigned when scrutiny of…
    Salena Zito
    Read More
    • Opinion

    The New York Times Left Socialism’s Role Out of Its Report on Venezuela’s Devastation

    Kudos to The New York Times—yes, The New York Times—for running an excellent, detailed story on the mass starvation and economic catastrophe taking place in Venezuela. As the Times notes, Venezuela has the largest known oil reserves in the world, yet is going through a starvation crisis exacerbated and hidden by its own government. Common…
    Jarrett Stepman
    Read More
    • Opinion

    House ‘Cromnibus’ Rightly Boosts Defense Spending, but Fails Test of Fiscal Responsibility

    The House of Representatives is expected this week to debate H.R. 1370, which would fund national defense through the remainder of fiscal year 2018 and extend funding for all other discretionary programs until Jan. 19 via a continuing resolution. It would also provide funding extensions to several mandatory programs and potentially add more supplemental funding…
    Justin Bogie
    Read More
    • Opinion

    5 Ways Energy Dominance Can Bolster Trump’s National Security Strategy

    The Trump administration’s new national security strategy emphasizes the importance of a strong economy to enhance national security. “America’s central position in the global energy system as a leading producer, consumer, and innovator,” the report says, “ensures that markets are free and U.S. infrastructure is resilient and secure.” As a global energy leader already, the…
    Nicolas Loris
    Read More
    • News

    Trump Calls Out Russia, China in National Security Address

    President Donald Trump presented his national security strategy as what he called a reassertion of fundamental truths and “principled realism.” “Any nation that trades away its prosperity for security will end up losing both,” @POTUS says. “A nation without borders is not a nation. A nation that does not protect prosperity at home cannot protect…
    Fred Lucas
    Read More
    • Opinion

    4 Red Flags About Trade in Trump’s National Security Strategy

    President Donald Trump’s new national security strategy is a significant and positive break with the recent past on many political and security issues. It is also relatively and appropriately conventional on some other matters—like the importance of alliances and American engagement in the world. But the area of international trade, the strategy, which presidents are…
    Walter Lohman
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Podcast: The Big Differences Between Obama and Trump’s National Security Strategies

    The Heritage Foundation’s Nile Gardiner joins us to discuss why President Donald Trump’s national security strategy, released today, matters—and how it differs in its treatment of Islamist terrorism from President Barack Obama’s strategy. We also discuss the long-ranging cultural implications of the tax bill, and why Chick-fil-A is once again the hero.
    Katrina Trinko
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Trump’s National Security Strategy Boldly Reasserts American Leadership

    In the Obama White House, the mantra of “leading from behind” was so deeply embedded that America’s allies were often left confused and disoriented when it came to U.S. foreign policy. President Barack Obama’s 2015 national security strategy was a curious mishmash of lofty idealism and outreach to dictatorial regimes such as Iran and Cuba,…
    Nile Gardiner
    Read More
    • News

    Arrests of MS-13 Members, Associates Up 83% Under Trump

    President Donald Trump called Friday for reforming and strictly enforcing immigration law, in light of the failed terror attack in New York and increased crime across the country committed by violent gangs. Trump said he has directed federal law enforcement to work with local police to “destroy criminal cartels, like the savages of MS-13,” and…
    Fred Lucas
    Read More