Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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- News
11th Circuit Reinstates Alabama Law Protecting Minors From Gender-Transition Hormones
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Monday vacated a preliminary injunction against Alabama’s Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which had blocked the section of the law protecting minors from puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. The unanimous decision denied that the law “amounts to a sex-based classification” and found no “constitutional right to…Joshua Arnold -
- Opinion
From Land Acknowledgements to Zombie Lies, Biden’s State Department Pushes Divisive Diplomacy
The House version of the State Department’s foreign operations appropriations bill calls for defunding the agency’s various special envoys, representatives, and coordinators unless expressly authorized by law or confirmed by the Senate. Congress is right to scrutinize and prune these proliferating, expensive, and often redundant “special” offices. One of these positions is the State Department’s…Simon Hankinson -
- Opinion
Interest Rates Are Soaring, Raising the Alarm for a Painful Reckoning for America
Someone with a million dollars of credit card debt probably wouldn’t celebrate if his interest rate skyrocketed. Yet some analysts are touting rising interest rates on America’s trillions of dollars of long-term debt as a good sign for the U.S. economy. Are they right? Are rising long-term interest rates a good thing? Certainly not for…Preston Brashers -
- Opinion
Biden’s Hostage Deal Would Boost Iran’s Threats
The Biden administration reportedly has reached a deal to free five Iranian-American hostages held by Iran, in what may be the prelude to an even worse agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. Under the reported deal, the United States would secure the five hostages’ release by releasing an unknown number of Iranian agents or sanctions violators…James Phillips -
- Opinion
Storm Warning in California Shows How Easy It’s Become to Panic Americans
I am writing this column on a beautiful sunny day in Southern California. It is a Monday in mid-August, so it is not a national holiday, yet in Los Angeles County, where I live, all the schools and all government offices are closed. Why? Because, for the past week, the National Weather Service, state and…Dennis Prager -
- Opinion
Cal Thomas: Debate Questions I Would Ask the GOP Candidates
Wednesday night’s GOP primary debate in Milwaukee for the Republican candidates for the presidency will be more a Q&A session than a classic debate, but that’s OK. Viewers will have a chance to take the measure of the men—and woman—who wish to become president. Each candidate brings something to the table, so imagine if we…Cal Thomas -
- News
Hawaiians Respond to Biden’s ‘Despicable’ Maui Wildfire Comparison
KIHEI, Hawaii—President Joe Biden on Monday compared the horrific fires in western Maui to a kitchen fire in his house during which he “almost lost” his “‘67 Corvette.” Locals condemned the comparison, saying it belittled the disaster that likely claimed over a thousand lives and caused billions of dollars worth of damage to local business…Tony Kinnett -
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HAWAII ISLANDERS: Ignore Jason Momoa and Come Visit Maui
KIHEI, Hawaii—In the aftermath of the horrific fires that rapidly swept across western Maui, destroying the town of Lahaina and possibly killing over 1,000, fellow Hawaiians have spared no expense to come to the aid of the suffering and homeless. The Daily Signal witnessed Maui businesses plastered with signs advertising drives of almost every kind…Tony Kinnett -
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California Library Silences Speaker for Saying Men Shouldn’t Be Allowed in Women’s Sports
A California librarian kicked out female rights advocate Sophia Lorey for “misgendering” biological men who identify as transgender during a speech Sunday, according to a video of the incident. Lorey, a member of the California Family Council, an organization that advocates fairness in women’s sports and parental rights, was speaking at an event entitled “Forum on Fair…Brandon Poulter -
- Opinion
Take ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Seriously
You don’t need a college degree to understand what’s happening in our country. Oliver Anthony, the Virginia songwriter and singer behind the viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” didn’t even finish high school. But his song is the most intelligent political commentary of the year. [The viral song debuted Monday at No. 1 on…Daniel McCarthy -
- News
‘So Many Are Afraid to Speak Up,’ Sage Steele Says of Leaving ESPN
Sage Steele was an 11-year-old girl watching the 1984 Olympics when she decided to become a sportscaster. Some 39 years later—16 of them with ESPN—the mom of three is leaving the sports network that made her vision a reality. When people ask why she would leave ESPN, Steele is blunt: No one should have to…Suzanne Bowdey -
- Opinion
‘Punch in the Gut,’ Afghanistan Veteran Says About Seeing Taliban Takeover
Aug. 15 marked two years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan after a nearly two-decade war. For James Hasson, co-author of “Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End” and an Afghanistan veteran, seeing the Taliban takeover “was a punch in the gut.” “And I…Samantha Aschieris -
- News
In Hawaii, Lahaina Baptist Church ‘Untouched’ by Fires Amid Surrounding Ashes
LAHAINA, Hawaii—After the devastation left by the wildfires that wrecked the western side of the island of Maui, over a thousand people near here are left unaccounted for as the death toll, now at 114, continues to climb. Pastor Barry Campbell of Lahaina Baptist Church, his wife Marcy, and Bryant Wright of Send Relief joined…Tony Kinnett -
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Former Prosecutor Running for President Calls for RICO Probe into Antifa Rioters
ATLANTA—Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican presidential candidate in the 2024 primaries, called for a federal RICO prosecution of Antifa rioters who have violently attacked the construction of a police training facility in Atlanta. “We need to be more aggressive about this,” Christie, who also served as the U.S. attorney for the district…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Confessions of a Rich Man North of Richmond
The headline in Christianity Today’s analysis of the hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” blares: “Oliver Anthony’s Viral Hit Doesn’t Love Its Neighbors.” The sort of people who read Christianity Today, however, should be asking themselves if they love Virginia resident Oliver Anthony, who wrote and sang it. In one of the most stunning…Eric Teetsel -
- Opinion
Paraguay’s New President Presents Strategic Cooperation Opportunities for US
Paraguay merits Washington’s elevated attention as the country just inaugurated a new president interested in promoting economic freedom, combating corruption, and building alliances with democratic nations. Paraguay is an important U.S. ally in a South America where many nations are turning away from the U.S. toward China and toward increasingly socialist governance. Santiago Peña, the…Anthony B. Kim -
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‘It’s an Illusion’: Tim Scott Unmasks the Failure of ‘Bidenomics’
ATLANTA—Sen. Tim Scott exposed President Joe Biden’s economic record Friday, explaining why the president’s celebration of “Bidenomics” is an illusion. “The average American family has lost $10,000 of spending power because of Bidenomics,” the South Carolina Republican, a candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination, said at The Gathering, an event at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta…Tyler O’Neil -
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Florida Becomes First State to Sanction Medicaid Providers for Covering Minor Transitions
Florida has become the first state to sanction Medicaid providers for covering the attempted gender transitions of minors. The state is fining five Medicaid health care insurers for violating Florida's new rule banning taxpayer funds from going to transgender treatments, such as performing a double mastectomy or administering puberty blockers, Jason Weida, secretary of the…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Hawaii’s Green Agenda—and Questionable Decisions—Primed the State for One of the Deadliest Wildfires in History
While climate hawks were quick to blame the tragic Hawaiian fires on climate change, some of the state’s green policies and questionable decision-making before and during the tragedy helped set the stage for a disaster that has so far claimed over 100 lives. Along with other Democrats and some members of the media, Democratic Gov. Josh…Nick Pope -
- Opinion
San Francisco Swirls Drain: Federal Agency Tells Employees to Stay Safe at Home
It’s getting so lawless in San Francisco that government agencies are telling their employees to work from home. The Bay Area’s reputation for and encouragement of open-air drug use has turned this once pristine region of the Golden State into a distinct shade of brown. Literally. We are certainly witnessing the rapid disintegration of San…Jarrett Stepman