Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
‘No Resemblance to Reality’: Former Clarence Thomas Clerks Defend Him After Attacks
Over 100 former law clerks of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have written an open letter defending him from accusations of ethics violations. In the letter, the clerks wrote that Thomas’ integrity is “unimpeachable” and that he’s never wavered from his independence on the court. The letter recounted Thomas’ life story of being descended from African slaves, raised by his grandfather… -
opinion
Lying Gender Ideologues Mutilate Young and Vulnerable
“That’s not happening.” It’s the most common refrain from gender ideologues trying to convince Americans that their ideology hasn’t gone too far and isn’t targeting children and others who are vulnerable. As a horrifying tale out of the Tavistock gender clinic in England demonstrates, this is an insidious lie meant to cover up the fact… -
news
City Can’t Ban Farmer From Market for Views on Same-Sex Marriage, Judge Rules
Six years after a Michigan city barred a farmer from selling apples and other fruit at an outdoor market because he doesn’t allow same-sex weddings on his property, a federal judge has ruled that the city violated his constitutional right to religious freedom. The original 2017 decision by East Lansing to exclude farmers Steve and… -
news
Missouri Attorney General Breaks Down State’s Battle Against ‘Child Mutilation’
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey spent the last week battling for the state’s law protecting children from irreversible transgender interventions, both surgical and hormonal. “We’re winning this fight and it’s important to keep fighting and pushing forward not to give up one inch of space in order to protect kids,” he stressed. The attorney general… -
opinion
‘For Me, the Glass Is Always Half Full,’ Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears Says
“The American dream is alive and well,” Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, says, “but only if we work at it.” “We must continue to work,” Sears says. “We must make sure that our children understand that they must take their place in society, that their job is no less than preserving America for the next… -
opinion
What My Experience Preventing Wildfires in Colorado Taught Me About Maui and Climate Change
The devastating fire that ravaged the Maui community of Lahaina has claimed the lives of over 100 people, and more than 300 remain unaccounted for. Many on the Left—Hawaii’s governor included—have claimed that man-made “climate change” is ultimately responsible for the most deadly fire in a century, but I know from personal experience that factors… -
opinion
House Freedom Caucus: No Security, No Funding
With the clock ticking closer to the Sept. 30 government funding deadline, the conservative House Freedom Caucus this week outlined its official position on Washington’s latest spending debate. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., a member of the Freedom Caucus, spoke to The Daily Signal about why conservatives are insisting House Republicans honor their promise to reduce… -
opinion
Nattering Neocons of Negativity
Earlier this week, my colleagues Tony Kinnett and Tim Kennedy visited Hawaii to report for The Daily Signal on the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century. Their trip coincided with President Joe Biden’s head-scratching island adventure, which did little to restore confidence with Hawaiians after his callous “no comment” quip about the disaster days… -
opinion
The Washington Post Is Clueless
A front-page story on Aug. 21 in The Washington Post sounds a false alarm: “American democracy is cracking. These forces help explain why,” by Dan Balz and Clara Ence Morse. The analysis is incoherent, betrays constitutional ignorance, and misunderstands the purpose of government—not majority rule but justice secured through checks and balances and separation of… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Chip Roy Moves to Grant Veterans Access to Innovative New Health Care Option
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Rep. Chip Roy announced he would introduce a bill Friday to give veterans more freedom in their health care options and enable them to access an innovative new form of health care. "All too often, veterans are forced to wait to receive the medical care they have earned," Roy, a Texas… -
opinion
Davis-Bacon Act: End It, Don’t Amend It
The Department of Labor on Aug. 8 finalized an 812-page rule that contains more than 50 significant changes to the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act. Instead of modernizing and improving this deeply flawed law, those changes double down on its shortcomings. Such massive changes make a bill introduced earlier this year by Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.—the Repeal… -
opinion
Hawaii Locals ‘Universally Angry’ About Federal Response to Maui Wildfires
The town of Lahaina, Hawaii, looks like it’s been “bombed,” The Daily Signal’s Tony Kinnett says after visiting fire-devastated areas on the island of Maui. Kinnett, investigative columnist for The Daily Signal, spent five days on the ground in Lahaina and elsewhere on Maui. Where government officials have failed, he says, locals have stepped up… -
news
Key Takeaways From the First 2024 Republican Primary Debate
Eight Republican presidential candidates took to the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night for the first debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle. The Republican candidates who participated in the Fox News-hosted debate were North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina… -
news
6 Highlights of Trump’s Debate-Disrupting Interview With Tucker Carlson
Former President Donald Trump addressed the disputed 2020 election, his mounting legal problems, and the potential for “civil war” during a wide-ranging interview with former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson, released Wednesday night. Trump, the nation’s 45th president and current front-runner for his party’s nomination, opted against participating in the first Republican primary debate… -
news
Media Giant Gannett Sued for Allegedly Discriminating Against White Employees
The largest newspaper publisher in the U.S., Gannett, was hit with a class-action lawsuit Friday that alleges its diversity efforts discriminated against non-minority employees. Current, former, and prospective Gannett employees filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging the company’s “Reverse Race Discrimination Policy” discriminated against “non-minorities” on the basis… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…