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.
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  • opinion

    Trump’s Stellar Pick for National Security Adviser
    Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is a perfect fit for the position of national security adviser, and it is no surprise that his selection by President Donald Trump has delighted many in the defense and national security community. Trump announced Monday night that McMaster will replace Michael Flynn, the retired Army general who resigned a…
    John Cooper | Thomas Spoehr
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  • news

    One Mom’s Fight for Her Special Needs Son in the Age of Obamacare
    For Marjorie Weer and her family, the Affordable Care Act has been both a blessing and a burden. The family of four, who live in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, qualifies for a tax credit, and without the financial assistance, their policy would cost more than $1,200 per month. But beyond the financial help, Weer’s experiences…
    Melissa Quinn
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  • opinion

    Senate Democrats Hold Up Cabinet Nominee for Special Interest Bailout
    What does Robert Lighthizer, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. trade representative, have to do with pension and health care benefits for one group of retired coal miners? Nothing. But that hasn’t stopped congressional Democrats from holding up a necessary waiver on Lighthizer’s confirmation by insisting on attaching it to a completely unrelated bill that…
    Rachel Greszler
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  • news

    After Michael Flynn’s Departure, How Trump Can Stabilize National Security Council, Avoid Leaks
    President Donald Trump’s first weeks as commander in chief have been challenged by upheaval within his National Security Council, the White House group tasked with coordinating and implementing foreign policy and counterterrorism strategy. The resignation of Michael Flynn as national security adviser—head of the National Security Council—comes at a time when acute foreign policy decisions…
    Josh Siegel
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  • opinion

    Polls Showing Approval of Dodd-Frank Financial Agency Are Highly Misleading
    With President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans taking steps to undo Dodd-Frank financial regulations, one agency at the heart of Dodd-Frank has become the object of increased attention. That agency is known as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It was created by the Dodd-Frank law passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Those…
    Elizabeth Fender
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  • opinion

    India’s Increased Naval Capacities Are Good for Regional Security
    A key American partner, India, is set to conduct another missile test that will have a wide range of consequences on regional dynamics for years to come. India’s new K-4 nuclear-capable, submarine-launched ballistic missile is expected to have a range of 3,500 kilometers, a serious improvement over its current operational missile of the same kind….
    James Di Pane | Lisa Curtis
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  • opinion

    Court Ruling Against Trump’s Executive Order Shows the Worst of Judicial Activism
    A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has repeated the mistakes made by the district court judge who stayed President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily suspending visas from seven terrorist havens. Both the judge in Washington state and the San Francisco-based circuit court have now refused to recognize the authority of Congress…
    Hans von Spakovsky
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  • opinion

    Defense Leaders Agree: US Military Readiness Is at a Dangerous Low
    This week on Capitol Hill, several top U.S. military leaders from across the armed services presented a sobering case to Congress: U.S. military readiness is the lowest it has been in decades, leaving it unprepared to defend America’s interests at home and abroad. In testimony before the Senate and House Armed Services committees, the vice…
    John Cooper
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  • opinion

    Grand Theft Judiciary? The Senate, the President, and the Supreme Court
    Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., recently accused his Republican colleagues of committing a “crime against our Constitution.” This is a serious accusation, given that all senators are required to swear an oath (or affirmation) that they will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” So is it reasonable…
    James Wallner
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  • opinion

    Expansion of TSA PreCheck Is Good for US Travelers and Security
    This week, the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program expanded to include 11 new domestic and foreign airlines. With the inclusion of these airlines, the total number of airlines participating in the expedited security process has been brought to 30. The PreCheck program allows passengers to pass through security checkpoints while wearing their shoes, belts, and…
    Garrison Rutledge | David Inserra
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  • opinion

    Trump’s Executive Orders on Financial Regulation Are a Great First Step
    President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act, and on Friday he signed two executive orders to get that process moving. All Americans should be encouraged by this start, especially since the president is only two weeks into his administration. One of Friday’s executive orders deals with a single Obama administration rule, but…
    Norbert Michel
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  • opinion

    How the Private Sector Can Remake US Cybersecurity
    President Donald Trump recently reiterated a pledge to build a team that will provide him, in his administration’s first 90 days, with a plan to “aggressively combat and stop” cyberattacks. Topping the list of the new administration’s priorities should be the need to articulate a comprehensive strategy of cyber deterrence. In outlining policies to shape…
    Frank Cilluffo | Alec Nadeau
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  • opinion

    Trump Refugee Order Balances Security and Compassion
    Read any commentary on the just signed executive order on visa and refugee vetting from several countries in the Middle East and odds are the assessment will tell you more about the writer’s politics than be an analysis of the order. I confess: I have a perspective as well. Mine comes from working on the…
    James Carafano
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  • opinion

    In Defense of Bill Pryor for the Supreme Court
    Rumor has it that Judge William H. Pryor Jr. topped President Donald Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court. But in recent weeks, he’s come under intense scrutiny from some who claim that he supports the LGBT agenda and would be a foe to religious liberty. I have known Bill Pryor for more than three…
    Ed Meese
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  • opinion

    How Trump Can Advance the Special Relationship With Britain
    Just seven days after taking office, President Donald Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington on Jan. 27. It will be the first visit to the White House by a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration, and the meeting sends a clear signal that the Anglo-American alliance will be at the heart…
    Nile Gardiner | Ted Bromund
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  • news

    Trump’s OMB Pick Shares Vision on Social Security, Regulation
    Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., appeared before the United States Senate Committee on the Budget Tuesday to share how he will reform entitlement programs and regulations, should he be confirmed by the Senate as the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. In his opening statement, Mulvaney said that the Office of Management and…
    Rachel del Guidice
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  • news

    Veterans Explain Why They Came to Trump’s Inauguration
    Thousands of people gathered in the District of Columbia to watch the inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Trump was sworn into office Friday at noon, where he marked the event as a time of change for the American people. “Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to…
    Melissa Quinn
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  • news

    Pentagon Nominee James Mattis Warns of Russian Attempts to ‘Break NATO’
    Russia is the principal threat facing the United States, and the new administration should increase support to allies in the face of the Kremlin’s attempts to “break the North Atlantic alliance,” Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary testified Thursday. Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, speaking at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee,…
    Josh Siegel
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  • opinion

    Fixing the VA for Our Veterans: What Will Trump’s Pick Need to Do?
    It’s official: President-elect Donald Trump has selected David Shulkin, the Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary for health, to be the next VA secretary. Shulkin, who has been undersecretary since July 2015, faces substantial challenges in reforming the troubled agency and restoring it to its mission of providing timely care and benefits to veterans nationwide. The…
    John Cooper
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  • news

    Meet David Shulkin, Trump’s Pick to Lead VA
    President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday his intent to nominate David Shulkin for secretary of veterans affairs. Trump made the announcement during a press conference in New York City, his first since the November election. “I’ll tell you about David, he’s fantastic,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “He will do a truly great job. One of the…
    Melissa Quinn
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