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
The Politician Under Troy Jackson’s Logging Jacket
Summary Troy Jackson has a compelling story to tell Maine voters. He grew up poor in a remote logging town, worked long hours in the woods, and promises to take on the wealthy interests he says have abandoned ordinary Americans. The Democrat nominee challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins is a fifth-generation logger from Allagash, and… -
opinion
National First Responders Day and the People Who Saved My Son
For me, National First Responders Day is personal. My son was supposed to spend the night at his sister’s apartment in Washington, D.C., when disaster struck. At around 1 a.m., she called me, frantic, saying that he still had not arrived. I drove into the city and started walking the blocks between her apartment and… -
opinion
Affordability Is the Economic Test Washington Can’t Ignore
Summary Midterms are often used to understand the mood of the country, and this one is no different. As we barrel toward Election Day, many commenters say that this year’s midterms are a referendum on the economy—and affordability is certainly top of mind for households across the nation. Americans don’t experience the economy in spreadsheets… -
opinion
Is the ‘Gender War’ a One-Sided Beef?
The growing divide between men and women has been in the spotlight of cultural commentary for years now, but a unique aspect of it is often overlooked: That divide, while real, isn’t equally caused by both sides. A recent survey from the Survey Center on American Life has found that while 26% of young Republican… -
opinion
Want to Stop Judicial Activism? Start at the Ballot Box
Activist judges are a huge obstacle to enacting the Trump administration’s agenda. Americans can point to case after case where a judge appears to put personal or political preferences ahead of the law. When courts stop applying the law as written and begin making policy from the bench, voters are right to ask what they… -
opinion
Martha MacCallum and the Stories That Define Us
“This is a story of America,” Martha MacCallum writes in the author’s note to “The Book of Valor: America’s Story of Survival, Gallantry & Grace.” “It is one thread woven from our Pilgrim heritage in Plymouth to a World War II triple ace in the skies over Berlin; to a rescue hero in Vietnam to… -
opinion
People, Place, Principles: What It Means to Be an American
The West is in a crucial cultural moment. Protesters burned a 140-year-old town hall in France, a disquieting testament of denigration. Many argue that America has no unique culture, or if it does, it is not one worth preserving. Even as America celebrates its 250th birthday, it seems we no longer know—and so don’t understand—what… -
opinion
Found Guilty of Wasting Our Time
I shouldn’t get so angry. It isn’t healthy. Last week, New York state summoned me to jury duty. I went, of course. It’s the law, and my duty. A jury may protect the innocent from government abuse. Ordinary citizens, not officials, decide if you are guilty. But doing our patriotic duty shouldn’t mean surrendering hours… -
opinion
Leftist Media Spin Furiously on French Leftist Rioting
The New York Post cover on Oct. 19 summed it up in two words: “FRANCE BURNS.” Over the weekend, there was massive unrest in France from leftist extremists. So there were several interesting journalism patterns. Labeling. Typically, reporters didn’t want to label protesters as “far left,” let alone “left.” Note to reporters: When Greta Thunberg… -
opinion
Why Didn’t Fauci Want Young Men and Pregnant Women to Know the Risks?
On Nov. 15, 2021, Anthony Fauci wrote a decision about COVID-19 booster shots in his private diary. Push the booster on every adult in America. Do it, he wrote, “no matter what the ACIP says”—that is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the independent panel of outside experts that votes on who should get which… -
opinion
Sen. Slotkin Says Students Should Think Twice Before Working for Trump
During an exchange at the University of Chicago, Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., suggested that future prosecutions of Republican political leaders should discourage young conservatives from pursuing careers in politics. “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration?’” she said during an Oct. 13 event. “I… -
opinion
Money Talks When Money Walks
This November, California voters will decide whether a fraction of the state’s population should pay a 5% wealth tax to help fund public programs. Proposition 40 would make roughly 200 of the richest Californians bail out the state’s deficits and save the budget for another year of easy spending. California is not the only blue… -
opinion
AAU Sues to Block Federal Transparency on Foreign Funding of Universities
Foreign influence on university campuses in the U.S. is a serious threat to national security. In 2024, a congressional investigation exposed nearly $40 million in unreported research contracts between the Chinese Communist Party and two top U.S. research universities. To protect national security and provide greater transparency to the American people, the U.S. Senate should… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: What Might Have Saved Gaza?
Could the destruction of Gaza after October 7 have been avoided? The answer is yes—had Hamas so wished. First, if the Hamas leadership had simply complied with Israeli demands to (a) return the 251 hostages and (b) surrender the architects and perpetrators of the massacre of some 1,200 Israelis, the Israelis would not have had… -
opinion
Fauci’s Bird Flu Dress Rehearsal for COVID-19
“As usual, I must publicly defend the President’s position, but I work behind the scenes.” That is what Anthony Fauci wrote in his private diary in July 2002. The president he was quietly working around was George W. Bush. Eighteen years later, America would watch Fauci stand at a podium beside President Donald Trump and… -
opinion
How the Toxic Relationship Between Cartels and Chinese Money Launderers Costs American Investors
The king of cocaine wrote off an estimated $2.1 billion each year due to chunks of cash being eaten by rats (whether those “rats” were animals or people, the record is unclear). According to Pablo Escobar’s brother and accountant, Roberto, the cartel accumulated so much cash that it could hardly keep track of it. That… -
opinion
Has Kristen Welker Ever Been Weaker?
Twenty years ago, Democrat politicians had a reason to be queasy over making an appearance on NBC‘s “Meet the Press.” Back then, host Tim Russert asked pointed questions, often relying on research to bring up potentially embarrassing statements and actions. Even Barack Obama knew he was going to get a serious probe of his past… -
opinion
Rep. Clyde: America Needs a Citizen-Only Census
“We the People.” With those three words, our Founding Fathers forged our new nation into a constitutional republic. Through tremendous sacrifice and fierce debate, these wise men asserted that our government existed to serve, and ultimately acquired its legitimacy from, the people—from its citizens. With the Enumeration Clause, they established a census to count our… -
opinion
Soft on Terrorism, Hard on Guns: Talarico’s Legislative Record Is Scarier Than Halloween
Now that U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico has returned to Texas’ campaign trail, he should explain his more troubling actions as a Lone Star State lawmaker. Talarico said nothing about anything when he vanished for 9 days, between virtual remarks to the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30 and an Oct. 9 stroll through… -
opinion
How Head Start Can Serve More Children for Less
One might think that Head Start could either reduce costs or serve more children, but Alex Adams, assistant secretary at the Administration for Children and Families, is proving that to be a false dichotomy. For evidence, one need look no further than potential changes to the Head Start program. Head Start began as a…