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
Success in Ankara and a Stronger NATO
The 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, concluded successfully, with messages of unity, support for Ukraine, increased spending by European NATO allies, and big agreements on coproduction of military systems, especially precision-guided munitions. Ahead of the meeting, President Donald Trump was adamant that Europe needed to increase defense spending and take more responsibility for its… -
opinion
The Grid Is Failing: Let’s Fix It and Secure Our Electricity
When the lights stay on, most Americans assume the electricity system is working. It is not. Beneath the surface, the markets that produce and price your power are manufacturing a reliability crisis. The organizations running those markets have already admitted they cannot solve it under the current rules. The result? A market that over-rewards weather-dependent… -
opinion
Welfare: It’s Not Just for Americans Anymore
Leftists like to claim that virtually no benefit money is given to noncitizens. A recent analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies argues that this is false. Households headed by noncitizens are not only receiving government benefits, but they are receiving them at higher rates than citizen households. Steven Camarota, director of research for the… -
opinion
Why Japan and South Korea’s Deepening Defense Ties Are Good News for the US
Two of America’s closest security partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, have historically struggled to cooperate due to historical animosities. However, at the urging of the U.S., in recent years, Tokyo and Seoul have increasingly collaborated with each other and trilaterally with Washington. Last month, that cooperation took another step forward. Japanese Defense Minister… -
opinion
The Media’s Dangerous Minimization of the Left’s Radical Turn to Socialism
Oh, how the mainstream media just loves to hype supposed Republican infighting while remaining silent on the Democrat split over socialism. When House Republicans recently derailed a procedural vote, Bloomberg ran a headline declaring that the House had “spiraled into dysfunction” and reported that the floor had “descended into chaos.” The story was not about a party… -
opinion
Trump, John Deere, and Farmers’ Right to Repair Success Story
Nothing makes a farmer’s blood boil faster than watching a six-figure combine sit dead in the field during harvest because of a repair he knows he can make himself. Trust me—as a farmer, I know from experience. For too long, too many big companies have treated repairs like another way to squeeze farmers. They have… -
opinion
The Cure for Left-Wing Lawfare Is Not Litigation Finance Reform
In recent years, left-wing activists have increasingly turned to America’s courts as the solution to their policy failures elsewhere. After countless failed attempts to enact progressive mandates through Congress and federal agencies—the Green New Deal, firearm bans, and other unpopular policies—activist groups have been aggressively teaming up with trial lawyers in an effort to force… -
opinion
Congress Shouldn’t Undermine Trump’s AI Agenda
President Donald Trump has made clear that the United States intends to win the global artificial intelligence race. From expanding domestic energy production to supporting new data centers and encouraging advanced manufacturing, the administration has recognized that AI leadership will be one of the defining economic and national security priorities of the 21st century. That… -
opinion
Supreme Court Defies Woke Commandments on Sex
It’s worth the time to read the entire Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J., because this case may mark the beginning of the end of the gender ideology delusion. In my book “The Ten Woke Commandments (You Must Not Obey),” the Fourth and Fifth are “You Shall Not Know What is a Man”… -
opinion
Trump’s Ukraine Strategy at NATO Is ‘America First’ in Action
President Donald Trump just showed NATO what “America First” foreign policy looks like in practice: America leads, Europe pays its fair share, and allies are expected to take the lead in defending their own continents. At this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump announced after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States… -
opinion
What the Media Missed About the Great American State Fair
Media outlets such as The Guardian and Forbes described the Great American State Fair as a disappointment because of extreme heat, weather delays, and lower-than-expected crowds. But as a volunteer during the event’s opening days, I saw firsthand that the event was much more than the negative headlines suggested. Presented by Freedom 250, the free… -
opinion
Sanctuary Cities Are Rehearsing Europe’s Vigilante Future
Movies work like a cultural seismograph: They record public anxiety before politicians get around to admitting it exists. This year’s “Citizen Vigilante” is set in Europe, but the reaction to it belongs in a Washington conversation. Germany’s censors banned the film outright rather than let audiences see a story about migrant crime and judicial leniency,… -
opinion
Georgia Polling: Jackson and Collins Can Win as Trump’s Approval Rises
For the first time this year in my extensive polling, the newest survey out of Georgia shows a material rebound for President Donald Trump and for other Republicans as we head into the heart of election season. To be sure, serious hurdles remain, and the economic mood remains problematic. But after a drumbeat of steadily… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Europe Is Failing, and America Should Pay Attention
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. Europe is upset. They’re very angry. They’re always angry, but the last two weeks they seem to be particularly angry. There are reports at… -
opinion
Democrats Want a Shutdown, and Republicans Should Act Accordingly
Washington is barreling toward another funding deadline, and Senate Democrats seem increasingly willing to use the threat of a government shutdown as political leverage. The biggest mistake Senate Republicans could make is assuming that Democrats share their interest in avoiding such a shutdown and the harm it would do to everyday Americans. They don’t. Democrats… -
opinion
Trump Just Upended China’s Illicit Petroleum Network
Per the terms of the recent U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, the U.S. Treasury had waived sanctions on some Iranian crude oil exports for 60 days. That move quickly sent American gas prices downward. Then, on July 6, Iran renewed attacks on shipping that got the waiver revoked. But for China, there seems to be little… -
opinion
Nigel Farage Throws Down the Gauntlet
Nigel Farage has never been one to let the Westminster crowd call the shots. On Tuesday, the Reform UK leader announced he’s resigning as MP for Clacton-on-Sea, but it’s not that simple, because he’s running for the same seat again. Farage’s resignation triggers a by-election, which he intends to win. Thus, he is turning what… -
opinion
My Family Never Had Generational Wealth, but Trump Accounts Are Providing That for My Kids
My grandmother came to the mainland from Puerto Rico not knowing a word of English. My grandfather, born in Hell’s Kitchen, worked four to six jobs at a time just to keep the lights on—groceries sometimes bought on credit—before spending his career as a detective sergeant with the NYPD. On my father’s side, my grandparents… -
opinion
G7 Climate Realism Signals Policy Progress
The June G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, marked a major pivot. Driven by severe energy and commodity shocks stemming from the conflict in the Middle East—specifically transit disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz—G7 leaders overwhelmingly prioritized energy security, affordability, price insulation, and survival of the fossil fuel supply chain over aggressive timelines for reducing greenhouse… -
opinion
Democratic Socialism Presents an Opportunity for Republicans
Every political movement eventually reveals what it truly believes. And when it does, voters have a choice to make. For years, Americans were told that the radical Left was little more than a noisy fringe, loud on social media but marginal in real life. That claim is now hard to sustain. Candidates aligned with or…